KUCHING: Orang Ulu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OUCCI) president Datuk Mutang Tagal has expressed hopes that the newly-minted prime minister will be a leader of the whole country and not for a selected group of citizens only.
He said Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim must respect the separation of powers between the executive, legislature and judiciary and respect the rule of law as a man of the people.
“I expect Anwar to continue the cordial and close relationship between the federal and Sarawak governments so that development programmes for Sarawak by Putrajaya continue to take centre stage for the benefits of all Sarawakians,” he told New Sarawak Tribune.
Mutang also hopes that under Anwar’s leadership, all outstanding issues pertaining to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) will be amicably resolved.
He said this included providing more allocation for Sarawak in terms of infrastructures, utility supplies and so on.
“This is the best opportunity for Sarawak to get Putrajaya to agree on its claims under MA63.
“Sarawak’s infrastructure needs to catch up with the more developed and advanced states.
“With his wide experience on economy being the Finance Minister in the 1990s, I believe Anwar will be able to attract foreign direct investments (FDIs) into the country.
“This will help to revive the economy, stabilise and strengthen the ringgit, and catapult the country to achieve a developed nation status in 10 years’ time,” he added.
On the political front, he expected Anwar to let bygones be bygones, forget the past, and move on.
He expressed confidence that with his experience, Anwar would be able to steer the country with a steady hand and ensure all the various races continue to live in harmony, respecting each other’s cultures, ways of life, and religion.
“I pray that the Anwar-led government will last and remain stable for the next five years in order to prepare the nation to face a very challenging global economy in the years ahead.
“Also, with the number of refugees and stateless people increasing in the country, we hope that the Anwar government will speedily deal with and solve these long-standing issues so that they can work and contribute towards the development of Sarawak and the nation.
“I believe the best is yet to come with Anwar at the helm for Sarawak and the country,” he noted.
Anwar, who is the Pakatan Harapan chairman, took his oath of office before the King at 5pm at Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur yesterday (Nov 24).
Mutang, who is a former Bukit Mas MP, said Anwar’s path to assuming the highest post in the land did not come easy.
“It was a long and arduous journey for him. Anwar is a very seasoned and tested politician, having been in government in the 1980s and 1990s,” he said.
