When Dr Mahathir was the PM, Sarawak leaders didnt talk about lack of development

By Abdul Aziz Isa

I found it utterly laughable to read comments made by several Sarawak BN leaders who blamed Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on the lack of development in Sarawak during his 22 years of administration.

Abdul Aziz Isa

Among those who joined the fray to criticise the former prime minister during his recent visit to Sarawak was no other than  some state BN leaders who used to be Dr Mahathir's great supporters.

Among them are the two state deputy chief ministers Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas and Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing, Federal Minister for Natural Resources and Environment Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, State Minister for Cultural, Arts, Tourism, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah and Bintulu Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing.

Why are these local leaders suddenly put their own faults on Dr Mahathir?

Do they know that if not because of Dr Mahathir’s consent, they would not be sitting as Members of Parliament (MP) and State Legislative Assemblyman? He has gone from being the darling to the villain of Sarawak BN.

Look back at the history of Malaysian politics, Dr Mahathir became the 4th Prime Minister of Malaysia on 16 July 1981 until 31 October 2003. In the same year, Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud became the 4th Chief Minister of Sarawak on 26 March 1981 until 28 February 2014.

Both of these two leaders came to power on the same year and both of them hold the record to be the longest serving prime minister and chief minister for 22 years and 33 years respectively.

Why only now when Dr Mahathir is in the opposition, these "ungrateful" Sarawak BN leaders go all out criticizing him?

When he was in the government as our prime minister, why didn’t they use that opportunity to raise their dissatisfactions about the lack of development in Sarawak back then? This is hypocritical politicking of the lowest kind that I simply cannot accept.

Have these critics forgotten that it was under Taib that our state fell behind the rest of the states in Malaysia despite our state’s wealth?

When our oil revenue were ‘sold’ to the federal government to build the iconic Petronas’ twin towers, none of these critics voice out against the construction.

It was our local Sarawak BN leaders who supported the construction of the Bakun Dam which has suddenly come under the ownership of the federal government back then.

Now, instead of getting back the Bakun Dam from the federal government for free, the same critics are quiet and do nothing when the state government decided to acquire the controversial dam with billions in liability.

It was our local Sarawak BN leaders who blindly agreed for the federal government to introduce the highly discriminating Cabotage policy that forced Sarawakians to pay higher prices than Peninsula Malaysia.

Their silence had cost Sarawakians pocket money to dry out. They had the chance to voice their dissatisfaction for 22 years but instead, they did nothing.

To add insult to injury, not only these critics remain quiet but they gave Dr Mahathir’s a resounding victory with an overwhelming majority in every election.

So, it is very irresponsible to just put the whole blame on him when they themselves had the chance to fix it during his tenure as prime minister for 22 years.

It is the duty of Sarawak MPs at federal level to inform the Cabinet on the erosion of Sarawak’s rights. Instead, they just merely act as ‘yes men’ and busy kissing Dr Mahathir’s hand.

They were voted to represent the state but failed to protect the interests of the state.

They never fight for what belong  to Sarawak during Dr Mahathir’s administration. After all the damages they have done for being quiet and doing nothing during  his 22 years and Taib’s 33 years of administration, they now bark at the wrong tree and blaming the whole thing on Dr Mahathir?

So, the majority of Sarawakian want to know. What have these five BN Sarawak leaders had done to reclaim Sarawak's rights and to bring development to Sarawak during Dr Maharhir's 22 years of administration?

Note: Abdul Aziz Isa is a special assistant to  Sarawak Pakatan Harapan chairman Chong Chieng Jen