KUCHING, Jan 21: Democratic Action Party Socialist Youth (Dapsy) Sarawak publicity secretary Abdul Aziz Isa today accuses Assistant Minister of Native Land Development Datuk Roland Sagah Wee Inn of trying to divert the public’s intention by pointing fingers at the federal government system.
His statement was in reply to Sagah’s recent statement, where he described Abdul Aziz as being ignorant.
“I found it utterly disgusting at how Sagah was trying his utmost to spin the historical facts after he discovered that he was busted.
“As a seasoned politician, he should know how to differentiate the function of three branches of government, namely the executive, the legislative and the judiciary, which is the trias politica model,” said Abdul Aziz.
He claimed that Sagah covered up by saying that “it was the executive’s actions that had caused great losses to Sarawak” when it was as clear this was not his (Abdul Aziz’s) figment but was reported in the media.
“Is Sagah trying to say that the media has misquoted him? If I didn’t respond to his statement, would he realise that he had made a mistake? Instead of beating around the bush, why can’t Sagah lower down his ego and admit his mistakes?” asked Abdul Aziz.
Since Sagah is seemingly trying to cover up his mistakes on historical facts, Abdul Aziz said it was time to give him (Sagah) another lesson on government studies.
“Since Malaysia is practising the Westminster parliamentary system, therefore, there is a fuse between the executive and legislative branches. This is because, in the Westminster parliamentary system, it requires the appointed Minister (executive) to be an elected Member of Parliament (legislative).
“Before a minister wants to table a bill in Parliament, they must first present the proposed bill in the Cabinet meeting for a collective discussion. Once the whole Cabinet has agreed to the proposed bill presented, the minister then will have to table the bill in Parliament.
“Even Canada, Australia, Singapore, India, New Zealand and Sri Lanka are following this system,” said Abdul Aziz.
In Sarawak’s case, he said it was the then Minister of Primary Industry Datuk Abdul Taib Mahmud who tabled the Petroleum Development Bill in Parliament (Dewan Rakyat).
That meant before the Petroleum Development Bill was tabled by Taib, it must have received approval from the whole Cabinet under the spirit of collective ministerial responsibility, he added.
“Yes, it is true that Tun Mahathir Mohamad was the Cabinet Minister in the year of 1974 but not when the Petroleum Development Act (PDA) was passed in Parliament on July 25, 1974. He was only a Senator and not part of the Cabinet nor a Member of Parliament. Tun Mahathir was appointed to the Cabinet on Sept 5, 1974, after he won his seat for Kubang Pasu on Aug 24. 1974.
“As far as I know, when PDA 1974 was passed in Parliament, there were only 21 Cabinet Ministers during that time under the leadership of the late Tun Abdul Razak Hussein,” said Abdul Aziz.
Among them, he revealed, only 14 Cabinet Ministers attended the session, while the remaining seven Cabinet Ministers were absent.
“Instead of blaming Tun Mahathir who has nothing to do with the PDA 1974, why can’t Sagah have the guts to question Taib Mahmud for tabling the bill in 1974?” asked Abdul Aziz.
He pointed out that the relevant information can be found on the Parliament website at https://www.parlimen.gov.my/hansard-dewan-rakyat.html?uweb=dr&.
“There is a thing called ‘Google’. Even a six-year-old knows how to use Google,” Abdul Aziz added. — DayakDaily
