Abdullah Saidol has admitted that it was the State GPS/BN Sarawak government who has rejected Pakatan Harapan’s offer of 20 per cent oil royalties plus 50 per cent tax collected in Sarawak with the State taking up the financial obligations and thus full autonomy in education and healthcare in Sarawak.
The offer by Sarawak PH comes in a package, i.e. that Sarawak will be given 20 per cent oil and gas royalties plus 50 per cent of all taxes collected in Sarawak. In return, Sarawak will take up the financial responsibilities of these two ministries in the State and thus have full autonomy in education and healthcare matters.
The reason Saidol gave for GPS/BN Sarawak’s rejection of this offer is that such arrangement will involve the amendment of the Constitution and that PH does not have the necessary 2/3 numbers in Parliament. What Saidol has conveniently ignored is the number of GPS/BN Sarawak MPs in Parliament. Are GPS’ MPs in Parliament not going to support such amendment of the Constitution to devolve autonomy in education and healthcare to Sarawak?
The other reason given by Saidol in GPS/BN Sarawak rejection of the offer is that Sarawak PH is not a legal entity and has no legal capacity to make promises and enter into any agreement. That is even more ridiculous and absurd. If Saidol truly believes that we Sarawak PH have no legal capacity to make promises, why are his colleagues and he keep harping on the 20 per cent oil royalties promised by us?
It seems that Saidol and his colleagues have selective vision, seeing only things that they want to see and conveniently ignoring other things that they don’t want to see.
Why can’t the GPS/BN just accept Sarawak PH’s offer for the sake of Sarawak and for the autonomy movement of Sarawak?
It is the big ego of the GPS/BN Sarawak at work that makes the State government refuse to accept the offer.
To the Sarawak BN/GPS, anything coming from Sarawak PH must be bad and cannot be accepted. This is shown in several of our motions in DUN which the Sarawak BN/GPS knew they could not reject, thus they would get one of them to make some minor amendment to our motions and tabled as their motions.
With such egoistic mind at work, the Sarawak state government is actually sacrificing the interest of the people of Sarawak and the opportunity for true autonomy for Sarawak in healthcare and education.
Chong Chieng Jen
Sarawak DAP Chairman
