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.

 

 

 

  

Chong Chieng Jen to the Speaker: Why the delay in distributing the Bills to the state assemblymen?

 By Simon Peter

KUCHING, February 12, 2022- Padungan state assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen has complained today that the Opposition state assemblymen have not received any Bills to be tabled in next week’s three-day sitting of the State Assembly.

Picture: Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen

He said basic principles of parliamentary democracy dictates that the elected state assemblymen must be given ample time to vet any bills to be tabled and do proper research before debating on such bills.

“With the sitting starting on Monday and debates on the bills to be on Tuesday and Wednesday, yet copies of the Bills not forwarded to the state assemblymen before the sitting, the GPS Government is depriving the state  sufficient time to go through with the bills before the debates thereon start.

“Is the GPS government with its 76-seat majority now treating the State Assembly with such disdain and as rubber stamp of executive?

“With its super-majority of 76 seats, the GPS government can now easily bulldoze through whatever bills that it tables in the State Assembly without much hassle.  

“Nonetheless, though the Opposition is now reduced to only six seats, the GPS government and the Speaker must show their respect to the institution of State Assembly of  Sarawak by adopting the best practices of parliamentary democracy.  

“We should not allow the arrogance of this majority to destroy the integrity and sanctity of the oldest legislative body in Malaysia,” he complained.

Chong, who is also Stampin MP, noted Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Sri Karim Rahman Hamzah, had indicated yesterday that there would be some “interesting bills” to be tabled in the  sitting, but that he declined to disclose the content of such bills.  

“That means, copies of the bills are ready but that the government refused to give prior notice or more time to the state assemblymen to read the bills before the debates,” Chong, who is also the Sarawak DAP chairman, said.

The State Assembly will sit for three days, beginning on Monday, February 14, with the swearing in of the 82 state assemblymen.

The tabling on the bills will be on Tuesday and Wednesday.

"Don't be too happy with the gazette of amendment to Federal Constitution"

 By Voon Lee Shan, PBK president

Citizens of Sarawak and Sabah should not be happy with the gazette of Constitution (Amendment) Act 2022, concerning Clause 2 of Article 1; the definition of the Federation and the new definition of Malaysia Day in Clause 2 of Article 160; the indigenous races of Sarawak in Clause (6)(a) of Article 161A; and the removal of Clause 7 of Article 161A.

Picture: Voon Lee Shan, Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) president

The amendments could not as claimed by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar restored Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners within Malaysia under the MA63.

The amendments, by not giving one-third and another one-third seats out of 222 parliament seats for Sarawak and Sabah is meaningless.

Malaya without giving away two-thirds out of the 222 seats in parliament to Sabah and Sarawak confirm the political suppression of Sarawak and Sabah of their rights by Malaya.

Malaya by this way is also confirming Sarawak and Sabah as her colonies.

Citizens of Sarawak and Sabah need to be aware that by treating Sarawak and Sabah as colonies, their countries had lost their oil and gas resources to Malaya under the care of PETRONAS.

If there is to be a meaningful amendment in Article 1(2) it must be clearly stated that Sarawak and Sabah are countries within the federation of Malaysia.

This would allow the Chief Ministers of Sarawak and Sabah be called as Prime Ministers.

The stand of Parti Bumi Kenyalang is that the Malaysia Agreement 1963( MA63) is an invalid international agreement.

Being invalid, any amendment to the federal constitution and the consent to gazette the amendments by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, could not put the breaches in MA63 right.

You cannot restore a broken glass and you cannot resuscitate a still born baby to life. Without a valid MA63 Malaysia could not be born.

Focus on solving current shortage of chickens and eggs, Tiong tells two federal ministries

 SIBU, February 9, 2022 - Bintulu MP Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing today called on the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries to focus on solving the current market shortage of chickens and eggs in Sarawak.

Picture: Bintulu MP Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing

He said these are essential and daily necessities for people and their livelihoods as they form the bulk of the raw materials needed by the food manufacturing industry.

“In short, the issue of chicken shortage should not have been allowed to happen in the first place.

“The government’s restrictive regulations on the rearing, processing, and supply of chicken and eggs coupled with disallowing retailers to raise prices without authorisation to ease the burden on consumers, have nonetheless impacted suppliers and their ability to compete and bring sufficient supply to market.

“This has inadvertently caused a shortage for consumers who are now affected by insufficient supply in the market and destabilising the food supply chain,” Tiong, who is also Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) president and Dudong State Assemblyman, said when commenting the shortage of chickens and eggs in the market.

“We need to have an in-depth understanding and sound strategy to avoid this shortage, including delivering the promised incentives to the traders, instead of leaving them to fend for themselves.

“Under the pressure of Covid-19, with a weak economy and various instabilities, people are suffering.

“We need to do what we can to make adjustments and subsidies to help these livestock farmers, rather than forcing them to take their losses.

“These government agencies must go down to the ground to have dialogues with their stakeholders among the farmers and livestock rearers and understand their difficulties and find a balance.

“No party needs to suffer losses unnecessarily and lead to panic buying and hoarding by consumers. Otherwise, we would see that the costs of raising and supplying livestock will be higher than the ceiling prices set by the Government. To this end, no one would win.

“We must understand that the shortage of chickens and eggs is not deliberately caused by farms and related businesses.

“In the face of soaring transportation costs of imported feed and other livestock costs, they must also endure government regulations that prohibit price increases.

“Many breeders have complained to me that they could no longer take the losses and would rather not sell or rear more livestock in order to stave off further losses.

“Setting a ceiling price and allowing all merchants who have obtained a temporary approved permit (AP) to import whole chickens not only fails to address the root causes of the problem but is also unfriendly to the industry as a whole.

“There is also no control over how long the imported frozen chickens have been kept,” Tiong said, adding that these kinds of half measures cannot achieve the goal of reducing the people’s burdens.

He stressed one can guarantee where the price of imported frozen chicken will increase in the future. “If there is no supply of chicken, the supply of eggs will be affected. How will we deal with this? “ he asked.

“Without chickens, from where will we import eggs? We need to strive to achieve food self-sufficiency, instead of relying on food imports.

“Such imports are temporary solutions at best, and no one is willing to do business at a loss so it is imperative for us to formulate an effective long-term win-win solution,” he said.

He urged the government to take this matter seriously and implement lasting solutions, adding that he will also be reporting to Prime Minister Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob  to discuss this issue so that the relevant departments handle the people’s livelihoods with more care and sincere actions.