KUCHING: Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) Youth chief Datuk Snowdan Lawan (pic) feels that it is only fair that Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg broke his silence after all the injustices that Sarawak has experienced at the hands of the federal government.
Snowdan, who is also Youth and Sports Assistant Minister, said this in relation to Abang Johari’s call that if the federal Pakatan Harapan (PH) wants “war”, then Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) is ready too.
“During a time that we choose to be conducive and true, they kept provoking,” he told New Sarawak Tribune yesterday.
“We noted that PH leaders came to Sarawak, discrediting, insinuating, and bad-mouthing the state while instigating that they are better and able to form the state government,” Snowdan said.
He deemed Abang Johari’s speech as “a timely trumpet call at the time our soldiers are marching”, also appropriately delivered during the swearing-in ceremony of local councillors on July 31 when he dared them to be ready for an onslaught.
“The way they have been delivering their messages to the public lately, in the media or otherwise, is as if they are asking for an election war,” remarked Snowdan.
He felt that the negative treatment by PH towards Sarawak is now surfacing on a greater scale, and Sarawakians are now well aware that so much is at stake.
According to him, Sarawak has been denied development funding, in addition to having conditions imposed on dilapidated schools’ disbursement funds.
He stated that the PH government even showed intent to control Sarawak’s local councils and intrude upon its local land and longhouse matters.
“Every Sarawakian must stop these encroachments. It is another form of colonisation,” he said.
“Their new chapter of bullying the state has begun and if Sarawakians do not stand up now, the future could be worse than the last 55 years for this involves the riches of the state, the powers and authorities, the land, the resources, the law, and the minds of our people here.
“If PH governs this state, we will perpetually lose the sky above us and the soil beneath our feet,” he forewarned.
Snowdan strongly urged the people of Sarawak to stand guard, protect the state and determine their own destiny.
