KUCHING, Sept 15: Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) president Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh’s recent remarks on his party’s state election manifesto contradict his own previous statement while he was still with the Sarawak government, opines Political Secretary to the Chief Minister of Sarawak Soo Li Ching.
Soo cited specifically Wong’s comments which include the state’s oil and gas (O&G) and native customary rights (NCR) land issues, and that they were contradictory to his current-day remarks.
“Last year, Wong who was then the Sarawak second Finance minister, officially announced that the state had the right to levy petroleum product sales tax up to 10 per cent under the Federal Constitution, Item 95C and Tenth Schedule List.
“However, considering the federal financial distress, the state government only levied at 5 percent. Obviously, Wong’s remarks during his past ministerial authority and current standpoint was a total slap in his own face,” Soo said in a statement.
She pointed that before Wong left the cabinet, he was also one of the ministers who was involved in O&G policy and the revision of the Sarawak Land Code policy, which were discussed and agreed in the cabinet.
Wong also agreed and voiced no objection or raise no issues at all on the amendment done on the Sarawak Land Code for the NCR land issue.
“And yet, he is going around the whole Sarawak trying to mislead and confuse Sarawakians, that PSB will review again for NCR land issue, which had already been done by the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government for the Sarawakians’ well being.
“The protection of Sarawak’s rights and interests has always been the priority of GPS. Through strategic legal procedures and pragmatic claims of Sarawak O&G taxes, the rights and interests of Sarawakians can be safeguarded,” Soo asserted.
She observed that while PSB claimed itself as a local party, it’s actions were ‘Malayan’ in that it constantly criticised and created misleading issues without giving constructive opinions and contributions.
“Their main aim is not to build Sarawak together for Sarawakians but focus on to go against any policy or ideas implemented by GPS.
“According to PSB Youth Chief Johnical Rayong Ngipa, the allocation of RM20 million will be granted to the Sarawak Chinese schools and missionary schools, if PSB wins the coming election. But now, he changed his mind by saying that was just personal opinion. It is obviously shown that PSB is playing with Sarawakians’ trust on them. To them, perhaps manifesto is not a bible,” Soo asserted.
On Chinese education, she pointed out that the Sarawak government had allocated more than RM20 million to the Chinese Independent Middle School, SJKCs and mission schools in Sarawak.
“For the sake of their political agenda, the leaders of PSB have begun to continuously use political tactics to smear and slander GPS government. Such actions are not only against Sarawakians’ will, but also will certainly divide the Sarawakians and undermine the harmony and stability of Sarawak,” she added. — DayakDaily
