Baru: Time to restore Sarawak's status as autonomous partner in Malaysian Federation

KUCHING, February 13 - After the restoring Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution into its original position, the federal ministers from Sarawak must push for the restoration or recognition of Sarawak’s status as autonomous partner within the Federation of Malaysia, Selangau MP Baru Bian said in a statement today.

Picture: Baru Bian says Sarawak must remain without any official religion

He said the Sarawak government, at the same time, should declare and assert forcefully the most fundamental point that there is no official religion in Sarawak as one of the points that the founding forefathers had agreed to partner with Malaya to form a secular country.

“This is crucial because the people in Sarawak and Sabah are unhappy with the weaponising of religion and race in Malaya by the political parties to divide the people.

“Sarawak and Sabah must be united in fighting to regain our rights and status within theFederation,” Baru, who is also Ba’Kelalan state assemblyman, said.

He was referring to an assertion by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar yesterday that Sarawak would continue to fight for one third of the total 222 seats in Parliament to be allocated to the Borneo states.

Baru said he is glad that now somebody within the federal government is talking about this.

“For so many years, I have made many public statements and spoken in the State Assembly on this matter and so have many other opposition leaders.

“The withdrawal of Singapore from the Federation of Malaysia in 1965 had caused the balance of power between Peninsula Malaysia and Sabah/Sarawak to shift,” he said, adding that over the years, the number of seats in Peninsula Malaysia increased disproportionately to the increase in the number of seats in Sabah and Sarawak.

He added Sarawak is a huge state with vast areas where many of its parliamentary areas are even bigger than many states in Malaya, citing his Selangau constituency, which almost as big as the state of Pahang, as an example.

He said some areas in Sarawak can only be accessible through jungle tracks and logging roads.

“The increase of representatives from such areas in the federal Parliament would definitely augur well for the constituents and for national integration,” Baru said.

Soo Li Ching:The truth is that DAP Sarawak is being sidelined by DAP Malaya

By Soo Li Ching, political secretary to the chief minister 

As a Sarawakian, it is really disappointed to see the DAP Sarawak is avoiding public’s concern  that the DAP Sarawak is in cohort with DAP Malaya to suppress Sarawak and further jeopardize Sarawak’s rights, while the fact is that DAP Sarawak has been sidelined by its comrades from central.   

Picture: Soo Li Ching: DAP Sarawak is just an agent of DAP Malaya in Sarawak

In Chong Chieng Jen’s previous statement, he stated that DAP Sarawak has its own autonomy in making decision and being backed by their central partner. In fact, DAP Sarawak is actually being sidelined by DAP Malaya.

In just concluded 12th Sarawak election, Sarawakians had sent strong signals that they rejected Malaya political parties, causing DAP only able to win just two seats out of 26 seats contested. F

Former DAP Sarawak deputy chairman David Wong Kee Woan and DAP Socialist Youth Sarawak chief Peter Hee accepted their defeat and opined that DAP Sarawak should localize the party without the influences from DAP Central leadership.

Although there are many internal voices from DAP Sarawak to localize its party without being influence from DAP Malaya, Chong still insisted that DAP Sarawak being backed by DAP Malaya in his recent statement. 

It is proven that Chong is still siding the Malayans and rejected the  suggestion by this two  DAP Sarawak leaders.

Since day one, DAP Sarawak has always needed DAP Malaya's support and resources, this includes the need for their Malaya leaders to run an election campaign here and DAP's RBA (Red Bean Army) fight in social media for them.

In return, DAP Sarawak obeys and follows the instructions from DAP Malaya.

If DAP Sarawak has autonomy, then perhaps Chong should explain to us why none of their six elected MPs being appointed as minister by DAP Malaya during the former PH government?

Chong’s fear of Lim Guan Eng and dare not fight for Sarawakian’s  rights and interests is a disappointment.

Besides that, Chong also kept mum on varies issues that concern Sarawakians the most, such as the cancellation on Sarawak's development projects by former PH government,  UEC recognition, return of 20% petroleum loyalty and return of 50% taxes collected as promised, plus the devolution of health and education autonomy.

All these are on the GE14 election manifesto promised by DAP Sarawak but never being acknowledged and agreed by DAP Malaya, especially from Lim Guan Eng, after PH took over Putrajaya. DAP Sarawak was not even dare to raise any protest on their not fulfilled promises either.

Chong also never raised any voices on Lim Guan Eng's baseless Sarawak bankrupt claim, is this what Chong call they have their own autonomy?

Furthermore, what makes Sarawakians angry is that DAP Sarawak MPs are in cahoots with DAP Malaya in tabling not sincere Constitution amendment during PH tenure as federal government.

Thus, even though DAP Sarawak is backed by DAP Malaya, but they are just a chess and an agent in Sarawak, and definitely Sarawak's benefit is not their priority.