KUCHING, Sept 16: Santubong MP Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar urges the federal government not to forget the terms of the formation of the nation and all the undertakings and obligations as spelt out in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), the Inter-governmental Committee Report, the Malaysia Act 1963 in both the UK and Malaya, and in the Federal Constitution of Malaysia.
He also wants Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad not to repeat what he had done during his first term as prime minister from 1981 to 2003, which was not doing more to close the social, economic, and infrastructure development gap between Sarawak and Peninsula Malaysia.
Wan Junaidi felt that because of that, the prime minister had failed to fulfil the obligations under these documents on the formation of Malaysia. He wants the federal government to redress the shortcomings, failures and weaknesses of previous administrations, and fulfil all the basic reasons why the federation came into being in 1963 as well as the development of Sarawak.
He made these remarks in a statement in conjunction with Malaysia Day today and to commemorate the Federation of Malaysia that was formed in 1963, 56 years ago.
Wan Junaidi also reminded the federal government to spend the wealth of the country fairly and equitably based on the need to close the aforementioned gap between Sarawak and the Peninsula.
“The federal government must take into consideration that an enormous amount of money that goes into the government coffer is from the oil and gas which are flowing from Sarawak,” he said.
He also said the federal government must respect Sarawak’s requests and demands in the ongoing negotiation for the implementation and realisation of federal obligations under MA63 and the Federal Constitution.
He wants the government to repeal all the laws or regulations that have erroded Sarawak’s rights as provided under those documents.
“We must preserve Sarawak’s racial harmony, religious acceptance and social integration by whatever way we can. Anyone who tries to cause disruption and friction between us must be stopped at all cost. Use whatever law available to us to provide that protection,” he opined.
Wan Junaidi also advocated for reassessment of the federal government’s method of settling supposed debt, obligations and encumbrances of Malay and Bumiputera institutions like Tabung Haji, Federal Land Development Authority (Felda), Khazanah Nasional Berhad, Permodalan Nasional Berhad and others by selling assets acquired over the years, which, he opined, is tantamount to the destruction of what has been achieved under the New Economic Policy since 1970.
“Anyone can become the minister of finance by selling assets and properties to settle debt and obligations,” he said
Wan Junaidi also insisted that the federal government govern for the well-being of the nation and welfare of the people.
“All the ministers must learn how to work and those who have not learned how to perform their functions must be replaced with those who are better able to do their work,” he added.
“They must be able to enforce the law fairly and justly, and truly to let the rule of law prevail and not the law of the whim and fancy of an individual. Let the court truly become the arbiter of law and not an executive decision of an individual irrespective of whether his authority derives from the constitution or law. — DayakDaily
