KUCHING: Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Stakan branch chairman Datuk Sim Kiang Chiok is confused by the condescending attitude and disdain the Democratic Action Party (DAP) is displaying towards Sarawak.
According to Sim, while he is not surprised that the Malayan DAP members who disregard protocol, lack decency of etiquette in Sarawak by making programs without much courtesy to elected government, he is more surprised with DAP Sarawak for chastising their own government with flimsy accusations that has no merits.
“The Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) led government has consistently proven that DAP is known for using empty rhetoric and angering voters to gain support. However, if the anger they are instigating stems from genuine concerns, perhaps we have no place to criticise them. But they choose to use these tactics repeatedly without remorse or shame,” he said in a statement yesterday (April 6).
Sim said DAP had criticised the Sarawak government for not following Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on his recent trip to China but conveniently left out the fact that the state officials have always made their own trips with relevant industries and local businessmen in tow.
“Sarawak has proven to be excellent at gaining foreign direct investments and local companies have benefited from the contacts and positive relationships the government has with our trading partners. The DAP wishes to ignore all of these achievements.
“We ask DAP, if you are sincere, why didn’t you make arrangements for businesses to follow Anwar’s entourage without the need for Sarawak government intervention. You could have used your influence as the largest block in the Madani government to do so.
“DAP is so cunning that they would rather see the so-called lost opportunity happen and use it as political fodder instead of making arrangements to ensure Sarawak businessmen could join Anwar’s trip,” he added.
Sim also questioned why DAP did not make arrangements, as the party mostly represents major urban centres of Sarawak.
“The party missed the opportunity to help Sarawakian businesses and made excuses for their indifference to our economic wellbeing.
“Sometimes, we find it difficult to understand why DAP cannot love Sarawak more?” he questioned.
He said the ideology of Malaysian-Malaysia, where the federal government is supreme, is still very much part of their psyche, which may explains why DAP wants Sarawak to be subservient to Malaya.
“We wish to remind DAP that Sarawak has autonomy within Malaysia, and we are working to gain more autonomy rather than reverting to ultimate rule by Malaya. We invite DAP to join us in championing ‘Sarawak First’ and not ‘Malaya first’.
“However it is evident now as, as it has been before, that DAP is irrelevant in Sarawak because of their ideology and loyalty to their bosses in Malaya. We urge Sarawakians to see this,” he said.
