BETONG, March 8: Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) will not align itself with Democratic Action Party (DAP) neither will there be an olive branch extended, insists Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah.
“DAP leaders are not only arrogant and high-handed, but they’ve yet to fulfill their promises to Sarawak when it was in the ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) federal government. Up til now, DAP leaders are still blaming GPS for the collapsed of PH. Therefore there will be no olive leaf (sic) from us to them,” Uggah revealed at the launch of the Bukit Saban GPS roadshow for Paku Ili and Paku Ulu at Rh Francis Nyanggau in Penom, today.
Explaining that it is hard for GPS to be friendly with those who have been unfriendly to them, Uggah lamented that DAP had previously declared its intention to take control of the state government in the coming state election.
He also reminded the people that many projects approved for Sarawak were cancelled by DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who was then Minister of Finance.
“Our dilapidated schools remained unrepaired as at December 31, 2019 despite the state government paying over RM700 million as part of its debt payment much earlier. Guan Eng demanded for this as a pre-condition before the federal government will repair, upgrade and reconstruct. Subsidies for oil palm and pepper farmers were also withdrawn despite the low market prices.
“Don’t forget that in his effort to discredit the GPS government, Guan Eng also arrogantly said Sarawak will become bankrupt in three years’ time,” Uggah disclosed, adding that although Sarawak has RM30 billion in its reserves, they are not using it to finance state development expenses.
In addition, he told the villagers that a Sarawak DAP leader had openly promised 50 per cent of tax revenue collected in the state would be returned should PH win the last general election.
“That leader also went on to promise Sarawak 20 per cent in oil and gas royalty payment. All these promises remained unfulfilled and today, the PH government has collapsed.
“And yet, DAP claimed that GPS was responsible for the collapse of PH when it was their own leaders who’ve been obsessed with power and their inexperienced ministers in administering a central government,” Uggah added.
Meanwhile, he assured the people the GPS government will continue to make rural development its main policy.
Betong MP Datuk Robert Lawson Chuat, who also spoke at the event asserted GPS decided to support the Perikatan Nasional government because the former will not work with PH, especially DAP.
“We had suffered so much and this is a lesson learnt. We must move on and be friendly to the new government which respects and appreciates us better,” Chuat added. — DayakDaily
