KUCHING: Since its formation in 2018, the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) state government has had an excellent track record.
It has succeeded in establishing political, economic and social stability so that development efforts can be focused on fully.
Also, the GPS state government respects the religious freedom and customs of people of various races as it strives to maintain the unity of Sarawak’s multi-ethnic people.
Since 2017, a total of 120 comprehensive, high-impact strategic initiatives based on the political philosophy of prioritising the interests, welfare and future of the people of Sarawak have been launched and implemented successfully.
In the previous 12th state election (PRN12), the GPS state government won 76 out of 82 state assembly seats and with the full mandate, it was successful in claiming 13 administrative matters pertaining to Sarawak’s rights.
These include federal development project plans, federal civil service posts, admission of Sarawakian students into public universities as well as strengthening the functions and cooperation of the state and federal departments in Sarawak.
The GPS state government also succeeded in amending the Federal Constitution which restored Sarawak’s equal-partner status as enshrined in the formation of Malaysia in 1963.
Power was given to Sarawak to determine the status of its indigenous ethnic groups through an amendment to the Federal Constitution.
Under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) Special Council, the GPS state government also discussed the reclaiming of 35 per cent of the parliamentary seats for Sarawak and Sabah which is supported by the amendments to both states’ constitution – the claim has been agreed to by the federal government in principle.
The GPS state government has also successfully demanded for a state representative to be a board member of the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) of Malaysia.
The Commercial Settlement Agreement (CSA) between the state government and Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) has enabled Sarawak to actively participate in the oil and gas industry.
The State Sales Tax (SaST) of 5 per cent on petroleum products has increased Sarawak’s total revenue to over RM10 billion in a year thus enabling the state to implement many urban and rural development projects.
At the same time, young people have benefited a lot from initiatives specifically planned and implemented for their future.
Among the initiatives are in the digital industry as well as the fields of green technology and environmental sustainability as education and technical training will continue to be enhanced to enable the young to contribute to the development of Sarawak.
To further safeguard the future of Sarawak’s children, the GPS state government plans to establish the Sarawak Sovereign Wealth Future Fund.
The GPS state government continues to guarantee the ownership of Native Customary Rights (NCR) land, access to education and health as well as assistance for all sectors of society.
Through various futuristic initiatives and strategic economic policies, the GPS state government has increased Sarawak’s revenue and income.
With strong savings and alternative sources of income, Sarawak has been able to come up with the country’s largest budget of more than RM10 billion a year for development and the well-being of the people.
As such, numerous development programmes and projects such as roads, bridges, water and electricity supplies, telecommunications, internet, health, education and housing have been successfully implemented – these will continue to be intensified and accelerated for the people’s well-being.
Development efforts to accelerate Sarawak’s economic activities continue to be implemented which subsequently increased the confidence of foreign and domestic investors – these have resulted in the creation of many jobs and business opportunities that uplifted the people’s livelihood and standard of living.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the GPS state government successfully implemented nine Sarawakku Sayang Special Assistance Packages (BKSS) worth more than RM6.7 billion when the people were affected by the pandemic.
The BKSS in the form of financial assistance and in kind benefited Sarawakians and enabled them to live normally.
In addition to that, the GPS state government introduced and implemented the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 to accelerate the achievement of a high-income and developed economy.
Under the PCDS 2030, various initiatives targeting economic prosperity, social well-being and environmental sustainability were planned for implementation.
