MIRI: The Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) is disappointed and even worried because the federal government continues to “bully Sarawak” and appears to place Sarawakians at the bottom of its list of priorities.
In a press statement released yesterday, SUPP secretary-general Datuk Sebastian Ting Chiew Yew, said this time the federal government’s “targets” are rural school children.
On Sarawak’s RM1-billion contra loan offer that was rejected recently, he said SUPP strongly supported Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau who urged the federal government to reverse its u-turn on the deal.
According to him, the majority of Sarawakians were unhappy with the federal government and Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng in particular.
He interpreted the withdrawal of the federal government from the loan deal as an intention to prolong the sufferings of Sarawakians, especially the rural students, who had been making do with their dilapidated schools for a long time.
Initially, the Education Minister announced last February 20 that the state would be allowed to give a contra loan of RM1 billion to the federal government for repairing and/or rebuilding dilapidated schools in the state, while at the same time, reduce the state’s debt to the central government.
Ting pointed out that as education was a federal matter the central government had the duty to come up with the money for the dilapidated schools.
The contra loan was initially offered by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg. It was not accepted by the federal government which wanted the RM1 billion to be treated as advanced debt repayment.
“Our people were told last week by Science and Technological Research Minister Datuk Sri Michael Manyin that the loan deal was rejected,” said Ting.
“Then today (yesterday), the media reported that Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng wanted the Sarawak government to give the money to his ministry first.”
He quoted the Chief Minister as having said that Lim wanted Sarawak to pay in advance while the funds for dilapidated schools would be based on the usual annual allocation.
“We don’t agree to that as we want to pay them according to what is delivered to us,” he said.
“Lim should not sacrifice the future of our students for political one-upmanship. He’s punishing the kids because Sarawak government has managed its finances well over the years and has healthy reserves.”
The money, he stressed, belonged to the people of Sarawak and it needed to be cautiously managed because the federal government and especially Lim were anxious to spend it.
He found it odd that the federal government and Lim repeatedly said they did not have money, yet they decided to build the RM1.6-billion international airport in Kulim, Kedah which was just next to Penang rather than repairing dilapidated schools in the state.
He recalled that last April 9, when Parliament was debating the proposed Federal Constitution Amendment Bill 2019, a group of 25 Sarawak MPs heard, among other things, arguments that not only Pakatan Harapan (PH) MPs wanted to get a share of the state’s natural resources; they commented that it was ridiculous for Malaysians to use passports to travel to Sarawak.
“This means that they harbour their intention of abolishing our immigration autonomy which is enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963,” he said.
“The Malaysian political landscape has changed tremendously since the 14th general election. We must always protect Sarawak, and all of us must strive hard to improve our economy and raise the living standard of our people.”
