KUCHING, Jan 25: Batu Kitang assemblyman Lo Khere Chiang has urged DAP Socialist Youth (Dapsy) Sarawak publicity secretary Abdul Aziz Isa to stop making malicious statements about Sarawak leaders and instead get on with the real work to fight for Sarawak’s rights.
“I am quite peeved at DAP Aziz Isa for babbling away, talking nonsense for his political masters in the federal government,” he said in a statement today.
“Sarawak leaders are really working hard for Sarawakians’ best interests. He should instead concentrate on telling his Malayan masters to hurry up and return the oil and petrol money back to Sarawak and Sabah.”
On claims by Aziz that it was Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) who betrayed the rights of Sarawak, Lo said he should realise that the new government was made up of ‘new wine mixed with some old wine’.
Lo quoted the words of Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing, who correctly put it that ‘the new government is a mix of new wine and old wine in a bottle ‘capped by an old cork’.
“When Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was in the federal cabinet, he never made full use of his executive powers to correct the imbalance of development between Sarawak and Malaya, despite Sarawak being the biggest contributor to the Malaysian oil and gas revenue,” he stressed.
The Petroleum Development Act 1974 (PDA) and Territorial Sea Act 2012 (TSA), he added, were introduced to enable Petronas to siphon Sarawak’s oil and gas.
“Before accusing GPS of being made up of old BN leaders, Aziz should not forget that the new government have accepted former BN leaders into their fray as well.
“Where are PH (Pakatan Harapan)’s credibility and assurance before the election that the new government will implement those new agendas as promised?” Lo asked.
Highlighting that people still felt the pinch from the rising cost of living, Lo reminded that PH had pledged it would take less from Malaysians by introducing tax cuts and lowering living costs.
“Today, prices of goods and materials are going up. Essentials are not coming down and next to none of your election pledges to the people of Sarawak have been fulfilled.
“You, Aziz, should double up on your pathetic efforts and start fulfilling some of your pledges since May 2018, if you are a true Sarawakian,” he added.
Lo said the report from surveys conducted in supermarkets and hypermarkets on Jan 1 was inaccurate and bias as there were various special discounts and promotions being offered due to the festive season.
“Of course, prices will drop because it was done on a day when there were promotions going on. Anyone who has been into a supermarket will know that without having to do a survey.
“Prices for some goods on that day are on special offer, and we cannot take that as the normal price. I am sure prices will drop as well during the Chinese New Year sale,” he said.
Lo criticised that the biased survey, which was done just to prove to the public that prices have dropped, could only generate unreliable, untrustworthy and misleading statistics.
“The survey was done on only one day of the year, and you are trying to fool the public into assuming that is the price for the rest of 2019!” he exclaimed.
Lo reiterated that GPS was a Sarawak-based coalition fighting for all Sarawakians, and, more crucially, GPS need not have to worry about pleasing Malayans who, up till today, have yet to show how they were going to fulfil any of the promises to restore Sarawak and Sabah rights. — DayakDaily
