By Lian Cheng
KUCHING, Nov 11: Without the passing of the Constitution of the State of Sarawak (Amendment) Ordinance 2020 Bill tabled by GPS, anyone from Peninsular Malaysia may contest in Sarawak following two years of residency here.
As such, Batu Kitang assemblyman Lo Khere Chiang said, the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government is now trying to amend the bill to prevent that from happening.
“As it is today, anybody from Semenanjung Malaysia can come into Sarawak and stay here (for two years), have an address, and call themselves a resident. They can stand for election and if they win, they are inside the DUN (Sarawak Legislative Assembly),” Lo warned.
He said such good intentions of GPS has been turned around by Democratic Action Party (DAP) and had put the former in a bad light.
“Lim Kit Siang has stood in almost every state in Semenanjung Malaysia, except in Kelantan, Sabah and Sarawak. Now my question is, do we want Lim Kit Siang and other DAP members like Lim to come to Sarawak? To stand and represent us in our DUN?
“Certainly not. Look at YB Kota Sentosa, Pending and other DAP (representatives) in Sarawak now. Look at the promises made by Pakatan Harapan and the 22 months it was in power. What have they done for Sarawak? Where are the promises they have made to Sarawak? None of those have been fulfilled.
“Fifty per cent tax (collected to be returned to Sarawak), my foot! Twenty per cent oil royalty (to be given to Sarawak), another foot!” Lo said at a press conference on the sidelines of the DUN sitting here today.
He stressed that by clarifying the word “resident” in Article 16, Sarawak’s rights to allow only Sarawakians to be state lawmakers will be protected, which is GPS’ main intention.
“But DAP made a big issue out of it, spinned it and misled the people.
“So I just want to clarify, this is the good intention of GPS and I just want to clarify that this is DAP’s politics of confusing the rakyat,” said Lo who described Sarawak DAP as making a mountain out of a molehill over the issue of anomalies in the bill.
Lo said due to the importance of the bill, and that there were some abnormalities, DUN Speaker Datuk Amar Mohd Asfia Awang Nassar had immediately deferred the bill.
“He made a wise decision to defer the bill, in the interest of Sarawak,” said Lo.
Yesterday, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah (PBB-Asajaya) tabled an amendment bill to allow only Sarawakians to be elected as state representatives and to lower the minimum age of representation in the august House from 18 to 21.
The amendment of the Constitution of the State of Sarawak (Amendment) Bill 2020 focused mainly on Article 16 of the Constitution of the State of Sarawak.
Sarawak DAP had no issue with regards to lowering the minimum age of representation from 21 to 18, but its chairman Chong Chieng Jen (DAP-Kota Sentosa) strongly objected to the proposed amendment on the grounds that such amendment will allow any West Malaysian or Sabahan to be elected as a member of the DUN.
Chong alleged that the proposed amendment is literally opening up the DUN to West Malaysians to be members thereof which is an outright betrayal of Sarawakians’ rights. — DayakDaily
