SARAWAK is hoping the national unity government will be more sympathetic and fairer to the state on matters of state rights as enshrined in the Federal Constitutions, MA63 and IGC Report.
International Trade, Industry and Investment Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said that Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) fully supports and will work closely with the federal government to ensure Malaysia enjoys greater political stability, social harmony and economic prosperity.
The Deputy Premier hoped politicking in Peninsular Malaysia will be a thing of the past, adding that it was a time for reconciliation and healing, and for Malaysia to move on.
“The new national unity government must provide Sarawak with more funds to close the development gaps between Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak.
“Otherwise, we will never be able to catch up and be on par with West Malaysia if the federal government continues to allocate only about 5 percent of the National Development Budget to Sarawak. This is grossly unjustifiable.
“It is the expectation and the right of the people of Sarawak, as citizens of Malaysia, to be provided with sufficient fund by the federal government so that we can enjoy better standards of living. Ini adalah hak Sarawak yang tidak boleh dinafikan,” he said when delivering his winding-up speech in the state legislative assembly (DUN) yestetrday (Dec 1).
The Bukit Sari assemblyman stressed that after 59 years of the formation of Malaysia, the state should not be seeing any more dilapidated schools.
“We should no longer have poor schools, bad roads, insufficient water and electricity supply, uncomfortable rural clinics and hospitals that we should enjoy just like in Peninsular Malaysia.
“We want greater allocations not only for infrastructure development such as better and more efficient roads, bridges, airports and ports but also for the development of other basic facilities such as water supply, electricity and a more modern telecommunications system.
“We also want greater allocations to develop education, health and safety infrastructure. This is an important thing for us to solve.
“At the same time, we also have the right to obtain greater allocations for the development of industrial estates, business premises and enhance socio-economic development programmes and poverty alleviation programmess.
“Don’t be like the previous PH government, where some projects were approved, but were cancelled. Many promises were also made but not fulfilled such as the 50 percent tax collected from Sarawak to be returned to Sarawak and 20 percent of oil royalty to be given to Sarawak.
“All this was not implemented. I hope that this new government will take a lesson from the previous PH government,” he said.
