KUCHING, May 13: The act of accepting Barisan Nasional (BN) Sarawak into Pakatan Harapan (PH) would be a betrayal of the trust given by the rakyat to PH.
Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sarawak deputy youth chief Simon Siah said this is especially with the long standing record of the oppressive policy against the natives by BN Sarawak.
The PKR Sarawak Youth Wing has strongly voiced its opposition towards possibilities of a move by Sarawak BN component parties to form a state coalition with PH.
“The natives of Sarawak have for half a century been intimidated into believing that they have to obey their BN warlords to the extent that the thinking of “anang ngelaban perintah” (do not go against the governement) is firmly entrenched in their minds,” Siah said in a statement yesterday.
“Sarawakians have been ruled by fear and have been solely at the mercy of their political warlords. Headmen who were thought to be opposing the political warlords were removed, villages who supported opposition parties, were intimidated that their “minor rural project” funds would be allocated elsewhere.
“Even Sarawakians in urban areas are so fearful to even speak their voice or join political parties of their choice for fear of repercussions such as having their employment terminated or their business affected. We have for half a century lived in fear under BN Sarawak,” Siah said.
He added that the recently concluded 14th general election showed that the people of Sarawak are finally ready to wake up and make a stand.
He said that the Bidayuhs in southern Sarawak, the Ibans in the heart of Sarawak, and the Malays and the Chinese in the cities all wanted change by making their voices loud and clear through the ballot papers.
“PH has become its namesake ‘Hope’. We are the hope of the people of Sarawak. Many Sarawakians all over the state has finally see that it is possible to topple an oppressive regime through peaceful and democratic means,” Siah said, adding that Sarawakians are now empowered.
”How can we turn back against our words and accept an oppressive regime such as BN Sarawak who have for years plundered and stolen from Sarawak? More so when it was done during the long tenure of BN Sarawak’s leader who is now the governor Tun (Pehin Sri) Abdul Taib Mahmud. During his years as a chief minister, his policies displaced millions of natives of Sarawak, when land grabbing was rampant and the natives made to be squatters on their own land.
“We have had enough of the oppressive regime under BN and we do not want PH to be just a mirror image of BN. So the idea of BN Sarawak joining PH is incomprehensible for many Sarawakians.”
He urged Sarawakians to trust that PH Sarawak will win in the upcoming state election on their own merits and that PH will stand on their principles that they have strongly upheld from day one.
He also asked Sarawakians to have faith and believe that they are no longer the “anang ngelaban perintah” generation. — DayakDaily
