By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Oct 28: Batu Kitang assemblyman Dato Lo Khere Chiang has chided the Democratic Action Party (DAP) for failing to stand firm for Sarawak during key moments that tested the State’s rights and resources.
In a statement responding to Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen’s recent remarks calling for stronger opposition representation in the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS), Lo said while accountability and checks and balances are vital in a democracy, they must be shown through consistent and meaningful action rather than mere political rhetoric.
Lo recalled Chong’s earlier pledge in the State Assembly to deliver 50 per cent of all taxes collected in Sarawak and 20 per cent of oil royalties to the State.
However, no such increase was ever realised, which Lo described as yet another case of promises made loudly but never fulfilled, a pattern that has eroded public trust in the opposition’s credibility.
In addition, he highlighted that when Sarawak introduced the five per cent State Sales Tax (SST) on petroleum products in 2019, former Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng objected to the move, a stance that could have jeopardised Sarawak’s right to the revenue and said that Sarawak DAP chose to remain silent at that critical juncture.
“At that moment, they did not stand up for Sarawak. If defending the State is truly their priority, that silence deserves a clear explanation,” he remarked.
Furthermore, he contrasted DAP’s record with that of the current State government, observing that under the leadership of Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, Sarawak has managed to implement the five per cent petroleum sales tax, establish PETROS as the State’s sole gas aggregator, and regain greater operational control over its oil and gas sector.
“Sarawak advances today with stability. Our development is guided by our priorities, not by party instructions issued from outside Sarawak. We cannot allow Sarawak to be used as a platform to increase the parliamentary influence of Peninsular-based party leadership.
“If a leader today still cannot stand up for Sarawak when it matters, they cannot now claim the right to decide her future,” he said. — DayakDaily
