KUCHING, August 12: Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Youth chief Michael Tiang says the refusal of the federal government to render aid to Sarawak in the latter’s fight against rabies is an “inexcusable neglect of duty”.
He could not understand why the federal government refused to help Sarawak which is contributing one-third of the national coffers.
“We pay taxes to federal government and yet the federal government is telling us that they have no money to help Sarawak.
“I think this is absolutely ridiculous. This is what I call an inexcusable neglect of duty,” said Tiang in a press conference held at SUPP headquarters here today.
He was responding to the federal government’s decision to not send veterinary officers over to Sarawak to help fight rabies due to budget constraints.
Tiang said SUPP Youth sternly protested against federal government’s decision.
“SUPP Youth condemns such a decision. This should not be a decision made by a government by the people, for the the people, of the people.”
“This is the new government formed by Pakatan Harapan and yet they made such decision not to send veterinary officers to come and help Sarawak to fight rabies although new rabies cases have been detected every month,” said Tiang.
He asked whether such a decision was made because Sarawakians’ lives was not worth the federal government’s help.
“This is the time for the PH government to give us back our 50 per cent tax collected from Sarawak and 20 per cent oil royalties as promised in their manifesto, and give us back our autonomy in education and public health so that we can take care of ourselves, so that Sarawak does not need to look to the federal government for help in rabies cases,” said Tiang. — DayakDaily
