KUCHING, Oct 23: ‘Don’t do unto others what you don’t want done unto you,’ says political secretary to the Chief Minister Tan Kai and Chinese community leader Temenggong Tan Joo Phoi in response to criticism from Democratic Action Party (DAP) over a memo prohibiting community leaders from attending functions by bodies and organisations not sanctioned by the state government.
In a joint statement yesterday, they alleged that Pakatan Harapan (PH) Members of Parliament (MP) has been making use of officers from District Offices to invite community leaders to their function but Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) elected representatives were seldom or never invited.
“Hospitals and schools in Sarawak have been instructed to only allow PH’s elected representatives or leaders to be invited as guests-of-honour, limit invitations for GPS members and that they cannot deliver speeches if invited.
“This shows how PH disregards Sarawak and its autonomy and gives no respect to the people elected by the state government.”
As community leaders were appointed by the Sarawak government, the two Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) leaders claimed that it was only appropriate to take such actions to prevent Malaya-based political parties from using state government agencies for political publicity and from further damaging the unity and harmonious living of Sarawakians. — DayakDaily
