By Lian Cheng
KUCHING, Oct 23: Is it possible for Sarawak to have its own currency?
Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) president Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian raised this idea to SUPP Senator Robert Lau and challenged the latter to bring forth the idea to Parliament.
“First, is our ringgit dropping against the USD (United States dollar)? (It is) dropping very fast, isn’t it? What did DAP say? Oh, tough time; interest must go up. That is bankrupt of ideas.
“I said, hey, you are a Member of Parliament (to Lau), you go inside Parliament to talk about it because, in the UK, they have the Scottish pound and the British pound.
“Why can’t you go to Parliament to talk about the Sarawak ringgit and Malaysian ringgit? You think about it,” said Dr Sim, who is also Sarawak Deputy Premier, during the launch of NewBees and Puteri wings at SUPP headquarters yesterday.
He called on the NewBees and Puteri (young SUPP members aged 18 to 28) to participate in politics by voting on Nov 19 “to make a difference”.
Narrating his own experience of forgoing the good pay in Australia as a cardiologist and returning to Sarawak as a politician, he stressed that politics is where big differences can be made.
He said only as a politician could he set up the Sarawak General Hospital Heart Centre in Kota Samarahan. His next target is to set up a cancer centre in Sarawak apart from establishing satellite hospitals for Miri, Sibu, and Bintulu.
“You can make a difference on Nov 19.
“GPS has 31 candidates. We are trying our best so that every one of them wins so they can fight for Sarawak inside Parliament to change the law to take back our health and education (autonomy),” said Dr Sim.
Dr Sim further explained that only MPs in Parliament could propose new policies and make new laws while those on the outside may talk, but to him, “talking outside is called bluffing”.
Also present were SUPP deputy president Dato Sri Dr Richard Riot Jaem, deputy president Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin, secretary-general Datuk Sebastian Ting, youth chief Michael Ting, women chief Kho Teck Wan, Stakan chief Datuk Sim Kiang Chiok, Kota Sentosa chief Wilfred Yap, Bintulu chief Johnny Pang, Dudong branch chief Wong Ching Yong, and other dignitaries. — DayakDaily
