Firstly, let us welcome home the 40 Sarawakians, three Sabahans, three from Selangor and one from Kuala Lumpur after the state government and the Malaysian Embassy successfully negotiated their release with the Cambodian government.
And kudos to the various parties who were credited with the success of the rescue mission – deservedly or otherwise.
Their release and safe homecoming marked a successful conclusion to an episode which had raised more questions than answers – at least, for the moment.
However, I don’t really feel proud as a Sarawakian after reading a report that Sarawak commercial crimes investigation department head Supt Mustafa Kamal Gani Abdullah and his officers were looking for a Sarawakian man suspected to be involved in a syndicate that conned the 47 Malaysians to work in Cambodia only for them to be arrested and jailed.
This surfaced after a report was lodged by eight of the victims who were in the group arrested by Cambodian police in two houses used as premises for operating illegal online gambling, and reportedly scamming activities too.
Their rescuers may say that their job is completed as the accolades came pouring in for their efforts in bringing our boys and girls home safely.
Even a plane was chartered and paid for by our state government towards this end.
But for the investigative authorities, the job has just started.
More news and truths should surface as the respective authorities get down to the bottom of things.
I have read and felt disappointed, if not sad, that our youths could easily be duped into such “employment” despite much publicity and reports in the news and social medias of “job offers that were too good to be true”.
Whatever happened to “an honest hard day’s work” and proper employment to earn one’s keep?
Where are the opportunities for them in our own state?
Are there REALLY a lack of employment opportunities here?
Are our youths so unemployable LOCALLY?
Are our wages so unattractive or are employees being underpaid (despite the minimum wage rate) or are they being exploited?
Does it justify them to be exploited overseas for “higher wages” or are they just plain naive and uninformed?
Are our youths too choosy or prefer to take on “easy-paying” jobs that they end up becoming easy targets for unscrupulous job recruitment agents?
Do they ask themselves whether they have the skills to commensurate with the jobs applied for, or is there a gross mismatch of qualifications and jobs offered?
All said, the problem does not just end with their rescue and safe homecoming.
It is just the beginning of another “search and rescue” journey for job opportunities… locally.
The challenge is to secure them good and sustainable employment for their future and the future of Sarawak.
If our “leaders of tomorrow” were still grappling with such basic problems and issues, what basis do we have to talk about autonomy, or even independence?
Or Sarawak for Sarawakians?
Sarawak jobs should rightfully be given to Sarawakians – as a priority.
I believe many Sarawakians would love to return should jobs and opportunities be as attractive and equitable as what they are currently getting overseas.
We need an army of educated and skilled human resource to embrace the many opportunities coming our way.
Like holding just a fishing line when nets should be at hand as shoals of fish keep swimming by and foreign trawlers beating us to the lucrative catch.
Qualified and skilled human resources are a country’s greatest asset.
Our neighbour Singapore is living testimony to this.
We will keep producing “kampung champions”, not international champions if we are slow to address the situation.
Our youths should look beyond waitressing in food courts or harvesting oil palms as manual workers.
MTUC secretary Andrew Lo summed it best when he wrote, “Human resources development is key to the progress of the state and Sarawakians.
“We need to create a skilled workforce, propel human capital development and to address longstanding issues on foreign workers, labour productivity, job empowerment, industrial relations and to develop a holistic blueprint of our human capital needs.”
Many of us know that the current education system has its dire shortcomings – churning out graduates who have difficulties fitting into the job market.
While it is a good idea to set up “local-based parties” to fight for our rights, it must also start with the basics – to give priority to resolving local problems FIRST since local-based parties should understand our local problems better than non-local ones.
Federation of Kuching, Samarahan and Serian Chinese Associations president Datuk Richard Wee put it very aptly when he suggested that the state government grab the bull by the horns in making genuine efforts “to address the imbalance in the state civil service to reflect the ethnic composition of Sarawak.”
He also made a timely reminder to our leaders in the state government to be brave enough and have the courage to acknowledge past mistakes and shortcomings and make the necessary efforts to rectify them, and treat them as lessons learnt.
Only then, can they move forward without turning back and looking over their shoulders.
That brings us to the ongoing public spat between PBB information chief Datuk Idris Buang and Lo.
Sarawakians are not really interested in who will win this war of words, but rather, who will win their hearts and minds.
While Lo may sound rather harsh with his “no holds barred” approach, still there are truths behind his statements which are indeed worthy of consideration and attention by the state authorities.
It will be more value-added to target the message rather than the messenger.
While I hope for an amicable closure to this unfortunate episode, may I sign off with this old saying – “Be like the bamboo, the higher you grow, the deeper you bow.”
Let us all bow together for the greater good of all Sarawakians.
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the New Sarawak Tribune.
