By Lating Minggang
As I see it.
This coming PRU15 (15th General Election), I strongly urge the Kapit Division folks to come out in full force, to support and to vote for the GPS (Gabungan Parti Sarawak) candidates, Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi, P215 Kapit and Datuk Wilson Ugak Kumbong, P216 Hulu Rajang, who have proven to have good track records at the federal level by bringing in rapid transformation to Kapit Division, with respect to infrastructure development.
Furthermore, with the many years that they have accumulated at the federal level, as the GPS parliamentary representatives, and with their good interpersonal skills and diplomatic approaches, they have successfully established good networking and rapport with federal leaders, as well as, the heads of relevant ministries. Their resourcefullness and diplomatic skills are some of the examples of the value added for the State which have in some ways, enabled them to make it possible to source for relevant development funds, for Kapit Division.
Furthermore, what makes GPS still the Political Party of Choice, for Sarawakians this coming election, is that the coalition has a significance difference in their political approach, as well as in their political agenda. Over the years, their focus on project development can be described as quite pragmatic, as the projects are being implemented more sensibly and realistically, in such a way that they are based on practical rather than on theoretical considerations.
Furthermore, GPS has got the competitive edge of having many years of proven track records, being the government of the day, in the State.
The accumulated experiences, and the lessons that they learned over the years, have enabled them to have the competitive edge over their rivals, especially when it comes to the subject of reaching out to the rural communities. The objective of these rural outreach programmes is to provide services, with respect to their socio-economic (wellbeing and) development needs.
Furthermore, I also think that for the GPS side, their political approach is different, as more often then not, they chose to look at the “Big Picture” i.e. to take into account the current political scenerio, as well as, the current socio-economic state, and the basic needs of the rural folks, as one form of GPS leaders’ key performance indicators.
Whereas, [on the other side of] the political divide, their political approach have been tested by the State for 22 months, to helm the power at the federal level, but as can be seen by Sarawakians, the political manifesto was a total letdown, as it was only good on paper. When it came to the implementation part, the end results were just too good to be true. In the end, it merely sounded like a harping noise, just like an echo, floating in the wilderness, of which, some political critics commonly termed it as NATO (No Action Talk Only).
The rationale of supporting GPS can be summarised, to include, but not limited to, the following:
â– To gain the maximum benefits of being part of the federation by winning the maximum nos. of seats being contested.
The objective is to have a bigger voice and bargaining power in order to achieve a “win-win situation”, with whichever party that wins, and command the majority in Malaya.
â– to provide continuity in the development plan for the rural areas.
As we all know, Sarawak is the largest state in Malaysia and most parts, especially the rural areas are still underdeveloped, and because of this, more focus in infrastructure development, needs to be given priority, i.e. basic infrastructure like roads connectivity, good telecommunications coverage, school facilities, basic amenities, etc.
The recently announced 12th Malaysia Plan (MP) by the [caretaker] Prime Minister Dato Sri Ismail Sabri Yaakob stated that, a large portion of the fund allocation will be channelled to economic sectors in Sarawak, especially for rural areas, i.e. for the improvement of basic infrastructure and basic facilities.
Furthermore, for Kapit Division, with the Upper Rajang Development Agency (URDA) in place, and in addition, with the availability of the RM1.5 billion budget being allocated as reported in the media, to be used to quantum leap infra development in rural areas, coupled with the Masterplan for Kapit, Belaga and the Bakun Lake being developed, the Tunoh township, indeed, undoubtly, the development will be very well planned, more systemmatic and more structured.
The way to move forward and become progressive for the rural folks, just like their counterparts in urban areas, will be for them to go with the flow, and in this case, the sensible thing to do, will be to leverage on the benefits of being part of mainstream politics i.e. to be with GPS, the party that is currently in power, at the State level.
Furthermore, GPS had already got the track record, as the government of the day. This is what the rural folks should leverage on, i.e. by continuing to support GPS and its development plan for their respective areas. In this way, the rural folks, will get the maximum benefits, as they will be an integral part of economic and development projects that had been planned by the relevant authority for their areas.
Even though the infrastructure development portion in rural areas might not be as comparable yet to their urban counterparts, nevertheless, the current focus and target of the GPS government is to narrow the infrastructure disparity gap between the rural and the urban.
â– Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63)
Discussion between the federal and the State (governments) is still a work in progress with the prime aim of reinstating the MA63 to its original state, i.e. as stipulated and developed by our forefathers, prior to the formation of the Federation of Malaysia, is indeed, something that everybody is looking forward to.
â– oil and gas (O&G) challenges
The formation of the State
petroleum company PETROS (Petroleum Sarawak Berhad) showed the strong commitment by the State government to get a share in the participation in the O&G industry in the State.
Furthermore, with the State government’s ingenuity, it also managed to introduce the 5 per cent State petroleum sales tax, which has contributed a significance amount towards the State’s revenue.
â– political and socio-economic state
Political stability in the State under GPS, had enable it to remain as the State of Choice for foreign investors with their Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in the country.
According to Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, Sarawak has many strengths and advantages to attract FDI, and among them are its strategic location within the Asean region, abundant natural resources, political stability, business-friendly policies and efficient civil service.
Furthermore, the availability of natural resources, coupled with the abundance of hydropower resources, makes the State an ideal and attractive investment destination for petrochemical and energy intensive industries, that are high-tech, as well as, the green hydrogen.
According to recent news in the media, for the record, Sarawak has been one of the top investment destinations for the manufacturing sector in the country in past years. Last year, Sarawak was ranked number two with investment value worth about RM15.7 billion.
GPS unity through diversity in politics can be made as a journey by choice. After all, politics is a process that impacts the communities’ lives. We definitely do not want politics to deprive us, as what has happened over the years.
Therefore, moving forward, being flexible and pragmatic is the key towards a transformation change.
“Leadership is about vision and responsibility, not power.” — Seth Berkley
Lating Minggang is the Walikota for Kapit District Council.
This is the personal opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of DayakDaily. Letters to the Editor may be lightly edited for clarity.
