MIRI: Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) needs a blue print to look into more pragmatic people-centric policies and services.
Tourism, Arts, and Culture Assistant Minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin said the policies must include promoting economic growth, providing more social amenities, affordable housing and creating more business and job opportunities to raise the income level of the people and uplift their living standard.
“We must further strengthen our integrity and governance practices and bring about greater efficiency, effectiveness and productivity in serving the people,” he said during the GPS Flag Rally at Miri Civic Centre, last night.
Lee, who is also the Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) vice president said because GPS is not under any Malaya-based party, it is able to make policies, decisions and plans on its own, without having to listen to outsiders.
“Under the leadership of Datuk Patinggi Dr Abang Johari Tun Openg, GPS government has introduced several policies such as the establishment of Petros, Dbos, amended oil mining ordinance, and the sales tax on petroleum products,” he said.
The Senadin assemblyman said from now onwards, GPS must depart from some of the old BN ways of doing things.
“We must go to the ground to let the people know the historical facts on the formation of Malaysia,” he stressed, adding Sarawak did not join Malaysia.
“It should be Sarawak together with North Borneo then, Sabah now, Singapore and Malaya formed a new nation called Malaysia on Sept 16 1963 under the Malaysian Agreement 1963 (MA63).
“We are not one of the 13 states, but one of the three entities that formed Malaysia as equal partners,” he said.
He called on GPS to urge the Ministry of Education to come up with a correct and factual history book on the formation of Malaysia and make it compulsory to be taught in secondary schools nationwide.
“This is to enable our younger generation to understand, appreciate and respect the true facts, including the certain autonomy that Sarawak and Sabah are entitled to,” he said.
