KUCHING, Aug 16: The Pakatan Harapan (PH)-led federal government, especially Democratic Action Party (DAP), is not a fan of Sarawak or else they would have been more understanding, opined Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) supreme council member Datuk Ahmad Ibrahim.
“Why would they? Everything they say they will do, they cannot do. Yet, Sarawak has been championing the Sarawak people since the beginning. Maybe at a slow pace, but surely done, doing and continuing,” he said in a press release today.
Sarawakians, he emphasised, are living harmoniously together while respecting and accepting the fact that religion is a private practice and not to be used as a political tool to attack another.
“Remember the issue on usage of the word ‘Allah’ in Bible, Sarawak has never had an issue since the early days of time, even before Sarawak Independence as the Bible is being translated into BM,” he added.
Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS)-led government, Ahmad stressed was busy bettering the life of people through creating good opportunities and infrastructures.
“We do less politicking and stay focus on nation building and growing Sarawak economy,” he added.
Even under the leadership of the late Pehin Sri Adenan Satem, he pointed out that the Sarawak government, among others, had accepted Unified Examination Certificate (UEC), abolished tolls, lowered assessment rates and absorbed Goods and Services Tax (GST) charges in council fees and utility bills.
“If you are observing, during that same time, did Penang (under DAP) and Selangor (under PKR) or any other states did as what Sarawak government did for Sarawakians? No!,” he exclaimed.
“When PH took over Putrajaya, they cancelled a few bridge projects in Sarawak meant to better connectivity for the people. Minister of Finance Lim Guan Eng shifted that particular fund and used it for Penang, Kedah, Malacca among others,” he elaborated.
Taking serious consideration of the critical needs of Sarawak, Ahmad said the state government then decided to use its own fund to get the projects going.
He also highlighted that former Barisan Nasional (BN) government had also approved the repair of dilapidated schools in the rural areas especially, but the current PH government cancelled it on the “pretext” of no fund.
“Both governments negotiated for the best way to address this issue which was through a contra-loan formula. The GPS government has made the payment or parked the fund of RM350 million with Ministry of Finance (MoF) as agreed,” he said.
“Now, let us see if Lim Guan Eng will fulfill his promise to use the fund for dilapidated schools repair and when? Let us pray that the money would not hijacked for other purpose,” he added.— DayakDaily
