KUCHING, Jan 12: Sarawak People’s Aspiration Party (Aspirasi) proposes that the designation of ‘Chief Minister of Sarawak’ be re-gazetted as the ‘Prime Minister of Sarawak’ to be consistent with the call for “equal partner” status in the Federation of Malaysia.
Its president Lina Soo emphasised that for a component nation of a federation to have its head of government as Prime Minister is nothing new, as it had happened in 1963-1965 when Lee Kuan Yew was called the Prime Minister of Singapore when Singapore was still part of the Federation of Malaysia.
“DUN (State Legislative Assembly) which is Sarawak’s lawmaking assembly has legislative power to make this change.
“Sarawak as a sovereign nation had already established one of Asia’s oldest legislative councils way back on Sept 8, 1867 as a lawmaking house which can make, amend and repeal state laws.
“Re-addressing our Chief Minister as the Prime Minister of Sarawak is proper and legitimate if we are consistent in our call for “equal partner” status in the federation of Malaysia,” she said in a statement today when commenting on the newly established Sarawak Cabinet.
Soo observed that in addition to Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg being the Chief Minister, he is also Minister for Finance and New Economy, Minister for Natural Resources and Urban Development, and Minister for Energy and Environmental Sustainability.
With this concentration of power in the Chief Minister’s position, she opined that it will not be amiss to redesignate the Chief Minister as the Prime Minister of Sarawak.
Soo also proposed that there be a Minister for Oil portfolio, solely for the purpose of restoring Sarawak’s oil ownership and economic rights.
“The Oil Ministry must be armed to the teeth with oil and constitutional law experts as well as high-level international law advisors, dedicated to getting back what belongs to Sarawak as the Ministry of Natural Resources and Urban Development is ill-fitted and incapable to perform this function.
“Despite so many ministries, ministers and assistant ministers created for political patronage, yet there is no political will to get our oil and gas resources back, which rightly belong to the people of Sarawak,” she claimed. — DayakDaily
