18-Point Roadmap
Our first duty is the complete removal of the cancer that
is Barisan Nasional. This Roadmap outlines the difficult path toward healing
and transforming our great nation. Our centrist policies signal a new era of
equality, opportunity, and possibility. We’re working for a stronger, fairer
Sarawak.
1. SOVEREIGNTY
& GOVERNANCE
A proud State within Malaysia and an equal partner to the
formation of this country, the time for Sarawak to take her rightful place in
the Federation of Malaysia is now.
Reaffirm Sarawak as an autonomous State and an equal
partner within the Federation of Malaysia as per the spirit of the Malaysia
Agreement of 1963 within the framework of the Federal Constitution as outlined
in the Kuching Declaration.
Investigate allegations of graft, fraud,
misappropriation, malfeasance, criminal breaches of trust, and profiteering
without fear or favour and to initiate legal proceedings as a consequence for
full restitution of public funds.
Constitute the Sarawak Select Committee on Competency,
Accountability and Transparency (SARACAT), a nine-member panel consisting
entirely of State assemblypersons chaired by the Speaker which holds public
hearings to investigate State issues and thereby usher in a new approach of
good governance based on Competency, Accountability and Transparency.
Gazette the 22nd of July as a public holiday in
recognition of the date as Sarawak's Independence Day.
Reinstate “Fair Land Sarawak” as the State anthem.
Streamline the process by which all Sarawakians can receive
an Identification Card, and where there are complications or complaints, ensure
prompt resolution.
Remove the term lain-lain from all State government
forms, and give Sarawakians the option to fill in the ethnicity with which they
identify instead.
To reclaim Education and its related government ministry
and departments in Sarawak from the Federal List to the Concurrent List as per
the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement of 1963 with a view to address and redress
weaknesses and failures of previous education policies affecting Sarawak.
Cede the pre-eminence of race-based quota policies in the
State to needs-based affirmative action policies, nonetheless aware that
inequalities between ethnic groups are real.
Implement a progressive Borneonisation of the Civil
Service based on competence and eligibility to realise the spirit of the 18
Points Agreement of 1963 for Sarawak.
Review and reconstitute all Government Linked Companies’
Boards of Directors to reflect the composition of all races and religions in the
State.
Decentralise power to strengthen local government.
2. RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
For a multi-religious and multi-cultural Sarawak to
flourish harmoniously, we should honour the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement of
1963.
Recognise and respect that Islam is the official national
religion of Malaysia, as we strive to maintain Sarawak having no official
religion.
Protect the absolute right to religious freedom and
practice in Sarawak for all religions as guaranteed in the Federal and State
Constitutions, particularly the right to print, circulate and use religious
texts without state interference or regulations, so long as such texts do not
contravene the law.
Ensure equitable distribution of building funds and lands
for the construction of places of worship for all religions.
3. LAND
The right to ownership of land, especially those of the
Orang Asal, must be upheld by a just society.
Constitute a State Land Commission that will oversee both
native and urban land issues, and to amend the Land Code to include ‘pemakai
menua’ and ‘pulau galau’ as Native Customary Land, and make full restitution to
rightful and legal owners of NCR lands.
Convert all leaseholds of residential land to freehold
where title holders can prove legitimate ownership and are not rent-seeking
monopolies.
Present freehold titles to all places of worship that
have been in existence on and before the 22nd of July, 1963, and consider the
same for all other applications after 1963 on individual case basis.
Legislate ordinances as per proposals by SUHAKAM in its
“Report of the National Inquiry into the Land Rights of Indigenous Peoples.”
Align reforms according to the principles set forth in
the UNDRIP, in particular the principle of free, prior and informed consent of
our Orang Asal.
4. ECONOMIC JUSTICE
Sarawak has huge natural resources but her people remain
among the poorest in Malaysia. We'll work to redress this economic injustice
and create a thriving economy which will provide greater opportunities for all.
Our labour laws will ensure that Sarawakians get a fair deal.
Implement the Keadilan Sarawak Development Plan 1.0 (KSDP),
an intensive and integrated sustainable development plan to accelerate economic
growth in every sector.
Engage Petronas at the negotiating table to reclaim
ownership of Sarawak’s oil and gas, and simultaneously execute drawdown on an
advance of 20% oil and gas royalty of 5 years in guaranteed government bonds to
accelerate development.
Develop “RURBANISATION:” set up targeted rural
development hubs throughout the State within 5 years, linking nearby villages
to at least one modern centre in which education, healthcare, and public
utility needs can be met while catalysing the creation of economic
opportunities, entrepreneurship and industries.
Pursue a robust policy of attracting Foreign Direct
Investment to Sarawak while developing Local Domestic Investment, and commence
a “Return Home to Sarawak” policy to encourage the repatriation of
professionals the world over, and offer Permanent Residency to foreign spouses
of Sarawakians returning home.
5. CIVIL INFRASTRUCTURE & PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Highways connecting us to cities and information are
crucial drivers of economic growth. It's about time we arrived in the 21st
century.
Reprioritise the State Planning Unit and State Planning
Authority to place urban and rural development policies in line with the spirit
of this Roadmap.
Review and audit the construction of the Pan Borneo
Highway and all matters associated with it, and if proven not viable, replace
with a new highway from Lundu to Limbang, and build feeder highways to rural
hubs, towns and cities.
Prioritise the construction of roads to all rural
locations to create access to and from urban and sub-urban hubs which will act
as a catalyst for economic growth.
Build necessary infrastructure to provide world-class
broadband and telecommunications to both urban and rural areas.
Commence a feasibility study for the setting up of a
State-owned television station.
Commence a feasibility study for the construction of a
State-wide railway system.
Offer incentives for public transport providers to
accelerate connectivity between rural hubs, towns and cities.
Manage issuance of fleet permits to large companies for
taxi services in compliance with our national policy as stated in the Buku
Jingga.
Regulate, with safety as the priority, the van sapu
industry by issuing licences to owners and assisting them with financing new
purchases.
Construct new airports in targeted rural hubs and upgrade
current rural airports and commence a feasibility study on the viability of a
low-cost home-based Sarawakian airline.
6. ELECTRICITY & WATER
Decades of political inaction have given us rotting
infrastructure and too many Sarawakians lacking basic necessities. Here's what
we're going to do.
Restructure Sarawak Energy Berhad and its subsidiaries to
comply with environmental regulations and social needs.
Initiate negotiations to acquire the Bakun Dam from the
Federal Government.
Connect every corner of the State to the grid within 5
years, especially in rural areas.
Streamline the procedures of the current Rural
Electrification Scheme, with an emphasis on approving backlog applications and
bringing electricity to homes that have wires and poles - but no electricity.
And bring micro-hydro projects to rural areas that are unusually inaccessible.
Free electricity for first RM30 worth of units for all
domestic consumers.
Replace old water piping systems with modern pipes, and
upgrade water plants with the latest pump technology to combat water pressure
issues.
Grant free water supply up to 20 cubic metres for all
domestic consumers.
Install or repair gravity feed systems that are off the
water grid in rural areas.
Preserve and protect water catchment areas from pollution
by timber extraction or plantation activities.
7. HOUSING
Sarawakians deserve better homes.
Allocate grants for the construction and refurbishment of
as many rural homes as possible within 5 years.
Establish a state-owned Building Society to build, rent,
and sell as many urban and sub-urban affordable homes as possible within 5
years.
Enforce, and where lacking, create consumer financial
laws to penalise predatory lenders and empower Sarawakians to make informed
decisions in the housing market.
Set forth rent control policies to protect tenants from
rising costs of living.
8. EDUCATION
We need to lift rural and urban students alike, leaving
no child behind, to put them on par with their peers in other developed
nations. We need our teachers to excel in the classroom, not at pushing paper.
The strong, prosperous future that Sarawakians want and deserve starts with
quality education today.
Immediately channel RM1 billion towards the renovation
and upgrading of rural schools and dormitories.
Increase the prominence of English from Primary level to
Form Six and commence a study for the introduction of a progressive dual
language education system after those of Australia, Canada, Singapore and the
United Kingdom, and recalibrate educator courses to realise this policy.
Review food and beverage supply mechanisms in all
residential schools with the prime objective of ensuring our boarders are more
than adequately fed nutritional meals four times a day, every day including
public and school holidays.
Cede the preeminence of race-based quota policies in the
state to needs-based affirmative action policies, nonetheless aware that
inequalities between ethnic groups are real and therefore disburse needs-based
grants to all primary, secondary, collegiate and university students upon
enrollment.
Review and rewrite, on the advice of educators and
policy-makers, syllabi of subjects taught from Primary level to Form Six,
specifically HISTORY, to restore “The History of Sarawak” in school syllabi to
reflect how Sarawak became party to the formation of the Federation of Malaysia.
Foster Borneonisation of the teaching corps and address
administrative issues faced by teaching corps, especially with reporting via
online servers.
Increase intake of qualified teachers and other education
staff to decrease ratio of teacher-to-student in classrooms.
Protect Sarawak’s diversity with annual grants for
vernacular and religious schools, with particular emphasis on native languages
to Form Five level.
Allocate special grants to kindergartens and pre-school
organisations that have special focus and emphasis on the teaching of their
respective ethnic mother tongues.
Found new universities in targeted hubs specialising in
specific fields and disciplines to support local growth.
9. HEALTHCARE
The declining standards and rising costs of healthcare in
Sarawak call for immediate action.
Upgrade existing hospitals by setting healthcare
standards for equipment and personnel.
Build more rural clinics throughout the state, and
mandate two doctors per rural clinic with availability of baseline minimum of
medical equipment/facilities and medication.
Recruit doctors to staff all hospitals and clinics to
increase doctor-to-patient ratio and introduce an expatriate-local medical
staff mentoring programme for 5 years at all levels to improve healthcare
services.
Improve the standards of local medical schools, and build
new schools where necessary, for a quality homegrown medical corps.
Expand and improve programmes aimed at improving hygiene
and health awareness in the most rural interiors, such as the Flying Doctor
Service, and mandate quarterly health checks in the interior by medical teams.
10. WELFARE
When our brothers, fathers, sisters, mothers, stumble -
we believe in helping them get on their feet.
Support Sarawakian households with parents aged 65 and
above with annual grants of RM2,400 per household at RM200 per month.
Ensure that orang kurang upaya (the physically-challenged)
will have equal income to the minimum wage and create tax incentives for their
employers.
Funerary grant of RM2,000 per death to next-of-kin.
Collaborate with and support organisations committed to
alleviating the plight of the urban and sub-urban homeless and hungry.
Review of the Welfare Department, its policies, and
delivery system of State welfare to the old, physically-challenged and needy
with the prime objective of caring for them justly.
11. WOMEN'S RIGHTS
Women are more than simply half the population. They're
part of our schools, towns, offices, homes, and when they prosper, we all
prosper.
Adopt a zero tolerance policy for violence against women
and children.
Support, collaborate, and give grants to fund women's
NGOs and other grassroots organisations in the establishment of shelters for
survivors of domestic violence.
Allocate benefits for single mothers and abandoned
mothers.
Strengthen legal access by divorced/abandoned wives to
enforce payment of maintenance by defaulting husbands and ex-spouses.
Extend the Married Women and Children (Enforcement of
Maintenance) Act 1968 to Sarawak to widen options for legal enforcement of
payment of maintenance via salary deductions.
Reinstate the Home Maker Programme amongst rural women to
encourage the adoption of a healthy lifestyle, domestic skills, and home
economics.
Commence a study on the viability of free and universal
preschools, nurseries and childcare services for working mothers in targeted
cities and towns.
12. YOUTH
A growing nation is not an achievement but a
responsibility. Sarawakian youth should be given the space and encouragement to
take ownership of their potential.
Offer welfare, housing and transportation benefits for
unemployed youths contingent on specific conditions for a specific period.
Start an entrepreneurship programme for young people with
regulated availability of start-up grants starting at RM5,000 up to RM50,000
per business model.
Set up a database of unemployed fresh graduates to enable
the government to work with the private sector to commence apprenticeship
programmes and internships for young adults in need of a foot in the door.
Mandate government agencies to provide free pre-college
career shows, seminars and counselling on business, trade and job opportunities
in all secondary schools.
13. SPORTS
Our potential to compete seriously on the international
stage has never been fully tapped.
Implement targeted sports development programmes for
rural schools to make Sarawak a powerhouse for sports on the global arena.
Provide targeted world-class sports infrastructure and
facilities to complement sports development programmes throughout the State and
invite expatriate sports professionals to work with local sports trainers in
developing sports to an international level.
Develop sports teams and associations with adequate
funding commensurate with systematic monitoring of standards in order to
achieve the goal of making Sarawak a sports powerhouse.
Provide educational scholarships to athletes who excel in
sports at national and international levels to develop a large stadium of
Sarawakian sportsmen and sportswomen.
Establish a retirement scheme for athletes who have
represented the State internationally.
14. COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT
We know real, lasting community development comes from
the ground up. Here's to empowering community leaders as they pave the way.
Safeguard the free election of community leaders
according to respective customs and adat.
Revamp the present Community Chiefs and Headmen Ordinance
2004 in alignment with the principles set forth by UNDRIP.
Increase monthly allowances and benefits for community
leaders in proportion to their responsibilities: village or longhouse chief,
RM1,200; penghulu and kapitan, RM2,500; pemancha, RM3,000; temenggong, RM4,500.
Mandate regular leadership and civics training programmes
for community leaders.
15. ENVIRONMENT & FORESTRY
Our lush forests and teeming rivers are at risk of being
lost. Irretrievably. We're committed to reestablishing the great primary
forests and conserving wildlife. Responsibly.
Stop all mega-dam projects and conduct a public inquiry
on the environmental impact of the Sarawak Corridor of Renewal Energy.
Put forth a comprehensive Forestry Master Plan with these
primary aims: the protection of existing parks; moratorium on remaining
unlogged primary rainforests; restoration of degraded logged forests; gazetting
of 1.5 million hectares of selected rainforests as Totally Protected Areas
(national parks, nature reserves and wildlife sanctuaries); and the
implementation of best management practices with sustainable logging cycles in
licenced concession areas.
Mandate Environmental Impact Assessments and Public
Commissions before implementation of any mega-projects.
Reaffirm the roles of the Sarawak Biodiversity Centre and
Unimas’ Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation as centres for
biodiversity studies and nature conservation in Sarawak while setting up an
Institute for Renewable & Sustainable Energy Resource to pursue every
sustainable energy option available for Sarawak.
Enforce a state-wide recycling programme that includes
public awareness and education on protecting the environment.
16. AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES
For farmers and fishermen, mainstays of the Sarawakian
fabric, we need smart policies to support those who support us all.
Introduce a price support system for primary crops like
rubber, pepper, cocoa and oil palm to provide support for small-holders during
downturns for these commodities.
Revamp the Agriculture Department to provide knowledge
and targeted financial support in order to enhance its role in lifting the
standard of living of rural folk.
Revamp SALCRA and carry out an audit of its business in
line with good governance.
Develop Sarawakian highlands as regional hubs for the
production of temperate vegetables and fruits and endeavour to elevate rice
production to sustain the State’s needs, and bring it to the level of a cash
crop.
Review the issuance of licenses to large fishing
companies with the goal of giving priority to local fishing communities by
empowering local fishermen with knowledge and funding to meet the challenges of
modern fishing.
17. TOURISM
Putting our home in order entails being able to host
guests from all over the world. With pride.
Formulate a long-term, holistic State Tourism Master Plan
for the development of a sustainable tourism industry: with a focus on cultural
heritage, natural heritage, culinary heritage and medical health tourism.
(Note: the last State Tourism Plan was drawn up in 1994.)
Develop targeted tourism products in various parts of the
State that will showcase the uniqueness of all ethnic groups, with particular
emphasis on sustainable eco-tourism and full exploitation of the potential of
Borneo’s unique position in the world.
In line with 17.2, Parti Keadilan Rakyat will announce a
list of tourism products based on tourist attractions, both current and
to-be-developed, for SPECIAL DEVELOPMENT STATUS in various parts of the State
before the 11th State Election.
Offer incentives, tax holidays and various financial and
simplified procedural support to the business sector to carry tourism to a
world-class level.
Initiate negotiations with international airlines for an
open sky policy throughout Sarawak.
18. CULTURE
Sarawak is home to a dizzying array of cultures and
possibilities that have yet to be fully explored or developed. We have to
protect our past, in our present, for our future.
Reclaim the Sarawak Museum Department in full from the
Federal List and bring museology in the state to the 21st century, with
particular emphasis on Borneo anthropology, by allocating funding to cooperate
with international collaborators, specialists, institutes and universities.
Found a world-class International Centre for Borneo
Studies that should be affiliated with and located in a local university.
Found a world-class Palace for the Performing Arts with
salaried resident artistes, and an Academy of Performing Arts (teaching and
researched based) as the basis for sustaining Sarawak’s unique cultural
position in the world.
Found a world-class Foundation of Borneo Arts, Crafts
& Heritage with salaried resident practitioners.
Legislate ordinances to protect our Intangible Cultural
Property and National Living Treasures and become a signatory to the Convention
for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.
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