Tiang: PH cannot impose new and additional conditions

suppadmin | July 14, 2018

“Pakatan Harapan cannot impose new and additional conditions for them to fulfill their election promises after winning. If they need more time, time can be given,” said Michael Tiang, Supp Central Youth Chief in responding to Pakatan Harapan state chief Chong Chieng Jen who earlier on told the press that the PH government will no longer give to Sarawak 20% oil royalty and 50% of tax collected as promised in the PH’s manifesto on the ground that the Sarawak government has failed to agree taking over the State’s education and public health from the federal government.

According to Tiang, the public were very shocked when they were told by the newly appointed Deputy Minister for Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs that the payments of oil royalty and collected tax for Sarawak are in fact conditional promises. On the other hand, the public cannot recall they had heard or read such fine print in PH campaign ceramah or Buku Harapan, the PH’s manifesto for the last general election.

“Chong must acknowledge the fact that Sarawak has rights to our oil and autonomy. Period. We do not attain those rights through bargaining or exchanging conditions with any party.” “I kept wondering why our deputy minister who is also a Sarawakian would care to continue “downgrading” Sarawak’s position in all these matters. Didn’t he understand for a minute that Sarawakians are not begging for extra grace from the Federal. We are demanding for what is ours is ours!”

“It was PH making promises to the people during the last election campaign. No one forced them to do that. Now with those promises they have won the election. Therefore It’s time for PH to fulfill those promises without giving any more lame excuses or adding any afterthought conditions to evade their duty to the people. And please don’t make the people to beg again. We are not beggars, but the voters that voted you into Putrajaya.”

Tiang in his press statement expressed his suspicion that the reason PH Sarawak was evading the promises of oil royalty and collected tax was due to the fact there were only two Sarawak representatives in the Federal Government, namely Chong himself and Baru Bian. “I wonder how much attention would be given to our two representatives in the Cabinet in respect of Sarawak’s demands and issues. All I am very sure of is that when Chong kept telling Sarawak people that “we do not need so many ministers so long the people can have good life”, he was being absolutely ignorant. With only 4% voting rights and allocated funds in the Cabinet, how do you expect our people to have good life?”