State Assemblyman for Batu Kitang, Lo Khere Chiang DUN Speech November 2018

suppadmin | November 7, 2018

Honourable Datuk Amar Speaker,

Thank you for the honour and the opportunity to debate Yang Amat Berhormat, the Chief Minister’s address at this second meeting of the second session of the 18th Sarawak State Legislative Assembly. I support and congratulate Yang Amat Berhormat, the Chief Minister for his articulate budget speech and his success in getting a double digit-positive budget for the first time in Sarawak history where 75 percent of the budget will go into development. This is in contrast to Semunanjung’s deficit budget. This positive budget does not eat into the reserve of the State Reserve but from the skillful ways of the Chief Minister by imposing 5 percent sales tax on our oil and gas. And this is better than the 20 percent promised by Pakatan Harapan (PH) which until now, we have yet to see any cent of it.

Honourable member for Kota Sentosa/MP for Stampin do not seems to disagree with this 5% of the sales tax imposed by Sarawak Government, Hourable member for Kota Sentosa must have got his mathematics wrong, how can it not benefit the people of Sarawak when this 5% sales tax amounting to almost 4 Billion a year, is shared among 3 million people in Sarawak and not 30 Million people in Malaya.

I am a Sarawakian and I am happy to know that we have extra 3 Billion income in our state budget to develop our state’s infrastructure. Sarawak is on its way to gaining financial independence under the capable leadership of the Chief Minister of Sarawak. Petroleum Development Act PDA 1974, a device that although passed by Parliament, however did not follow a substantive provision of the Federal Constitution, and was therefore unconstitutional, null and void and of no legal effect.

Sarawak under the Chief Minister is fervently pursuing our wealth from Oil and Gas to be return to Sarawak and all of us in this August House must support our Chief Minister in this very important endeavour.

The recent Rm271billion federal budget where Sarawak and Sabah have only been allocated a miserable Rm4billion and Rm5 billion respectively only goes to show how unimportant, Sarawak is, in the eyes of the federal government. Where are the beautiful promises for an equal status for Sarawak and Sabah with Malaya? Where are the voices of objection and discontentment of our Pakatan Harapan members of parliament? How can you all allow our new prime minister to get away with this disgraceful act of bully and disregard for Sarawak and Sabah. This is an insult to the intelligence of Sarawakians and Sabahans.

I wish to congratulate Honourable CM for his brainchild in successfully mooting the motion to have a Consultative Committee, comprising of members from all political parties represented by this August house, to advance and safeguard the special interests, rights and position of Sarawak as enshrined in MA63 and the Federal Constitution and to meet the expectations of Sarawakians for greater autonomy and devolution of powers to the State.

Honourable Datuk Amar Speaker,

I wish to remind our MPs not to forget the elephant in the room. Petronas, the biggest cash cow in the country is immune from having to table accounts in parliament. Honourable member for Kota Sentosa/MP for Stampin mention about integrity and transparency. Following PH’s promises to be fair and transparent, i hope that Petronas will not be immune from having to declare their accounts and answerable to parliament. I wish to remind Honourable member for Kota Sentosa/MP for Stampin take Khazanah and PNB also holds hundreds of Billions of dollars and do not have to report to parliement as well. Where is the accountability, integrity and transparency?

NEP Policy/Brain Drain

Honourable Datuk Amar Speaker,

Our Prime Minister of six months, Tun Dr. Mahathir, visited China and saw for himself how China has grown into an economic giant in a span of just over 40 years after their ‘Open Door Policy’ was implemented. He asked Malaysians there to return to help rebuild Malaysia, a country which he said is at the brink of an economic disaster.

Instead of spelling out how to improve this policy of attracting overseas Malaysians back, he returned home only to pass more discriminatory remarks on why it is important to continue giving special rights. If our PM is genuine in wanting overseas Malaysians to return to help Malaysia, he should not have insisted on continuing with the NEP (New Economics Rights) policy. He should practice a fair and just policy for all races and help all Malaysian citizens based on needs and not race.

PH had banked on the policy to win the election by stating fairness and justice for all but after they won, many including PH members from this August house kept quiet even when the PM’s policies were against their beliefs.

The NEP policy has been in place for decades and has failed. We can see for ourselves how many poor Bumiputeras there are in Sarawak. How is our PM going to achieve a developed status by 2020. The NEP was the cause of unfair discriminations focusing on one race instead of helping all the poor from all races. We are all together in this. If any help is to be rendered, it should cut across the board regardless of race. I am saddened to hear that the Prime Minister had reaffirmed this policy yet again in a recent BBC interview.

With unchanged policies, talented overseas Malaysians will not opt to return. Such unfavorable policies have caused and is causing many to migrate. So, I can safely say, that even though this is a brand new government, we still have the same old policies.

When a government reaches out to help its people, it should do so to help those in need. We need the new government to provide good hospitals and medical facilities, good schools and affordable education and housing within the reach of every citizen. Job opportunities should be given to capable and qualified people. Competition shapes character. It will enable all to strive and work harder. Only then will wealth in a nation multiply. The private sectors are prime movers of the economy. The government of the day facilitates and regulates. Is this so difficult for the new government to comprehend and to implement?

Unified Examination Certificate (UEC)

Honourable Datuk Amar Speaker,

What a joke it was when the federal Minister of education choose to dwell on the shoes issue instead of concentrating on working towards recognizing UEC. Let us 0not forget that some of the Chinese Schools in the rural areas especially Sarawak have over 90 percent Bumiputera pupils. The teachers were there to give their best and were never worried about the different races attending their schools. They only strive to bring out the best in each pupil.

Our late Chief Minister, Tan Sri Adenan Satem took one single day to announce and recognize UEC in Sarawak. How much longer is the Pakatan Harapan government going to take to recognize UEC? Recognizing UEC will give Malaysians a better competitive edge over their counterparts in other countries. Accepting UEC is a positive step towards making Malaysia a more inclusive and competitive country.

Let me remind our Pakatan Harapan members in this August house that education is meant for all to pursue knowledge for the betterment of Malaysians and it should not become a platform for anyone to play politics with. The education minister should know that UEC is recognized in top universities abroad but NOT in our local public universities. How silly and impractical is our education policies?

UEC students opt to go overseas because they were rejected by their own country. Then after completing their higher education, they look for jobs in their adopted countries and stayed on. The vicious cycle continues. Year after year, we lose our brightest students to other countries. This is the main cause of brain drain. Is this so difficult for the Pakatan Harapan government to comprehend?

We honour and remember the late Tan Sri Adenan Satem for paving our fight for MA63 and for recognizing UEC in Sarawak. We are thankful that our Chief Minister, Datuk Patinggi Abang Jo has reiterated that policies which benefited the state will continue. Sarawak is fortunate to have Abang Jo who is a wise leader: a leader with good economics acuement and who looks at positive changes in policies.

Projects rejected

Sarawak PH can claim whatever they want but the truth is that many projects have been cancelled since they took over the government. The Haji Baki community centre and the upgrading of the hawker centre in my batu kitang constiuency which cost RM 2 million have failed to proceed.

Flood mitigation projects in Sarawak amounting to tens of millions have also been cancelled. Honourable member of parliament for Santubong had mentioned that flood mitigation projects of RM250 millions for Sarawak has been cancelled by the federal government. I am extremely disappointed that each day, the federal government takes RM250million worth of Sarawak’s oil and gas and still have the cheek to rob Sarawak off basic infrastructure projects comprising of roads and drains which are pertinent and are meant for the people’s convenience.

Now, the federal government is talking about National car No. 3. It upsets me to think that billions could be spend on a whim at the expense of sacrificing funds for education and development projects. Khazanah was mention by our PM to implement this project, National Car No3. the chairman of Khazanah if non other than the PM. Where is the transparency and integrity that member for Kota Sentosa and MP for Sampin is talking about?

I wish to reiterate once again. Do not just talk, Honourable MP for Stampin. Give us back full autonomy on Education and Health and let Sarawak decide on her own education and health policies. Stop your play acting of the 20% royalty. Just give back whatever Pakatan Harapan have agreed to give before GE14. Sarawak do not recognize PDA74 and the Territorial Sea Act as it has not been passed through Sarawak’s DUN. Sarawak acknowledges full ownership of our oil and gas and these rights to our land and resources is not negotiable.

I wish to point out too that Tadika Kemas in Kampung Paya Mebi in my Batu Kitang constituecy is below flood level and the kindergarten is always flooded after a heavy rain each time. I hope that our

Honourable MP for Stampin will look into this issue promptly.

Besides that, soil erosion over the years has caused serious collapse of road embankments in many parts of Puncak Borneo. We must denounce PDA 1974, the teritory sea act and stop the federal government from siphoning Sarawak’s Rm15 billion net profits in oil and Rm49 billion gross profits in gas annually, so that we can construct better road infrastructure for our people in Sarawak.

Honourable Datuk Amar speaker,

At the council level, the Federal government pays RM27,500 through Marris Funds for the maintainance of every kilometer of councils’ roads. The fact is that the actual amount needed to reseal 1 km of 50mm thick premix costs around rm300,000. It is no wonder that all roads in Sarawak’s housing estates do not have sufficient fund for the council to carry out effective and quality maintenance.