Generally, the people of Sarawak comprising diverse ethnic and religious groups, after more than half a century of Independence, are more convinced that their decision, or to be more exact, the decision of their fathers or grandfathers to be part of the new Federation of Malaysia in 1963, was a wise one.
However, they are becoming more aware that Sarawak’s relationship with the federal government must be constitutionally correct as enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963. The relationship must clearly define rights and privileges and know the boundaries where state and the federal powers are. The relationship must be conducted correctly as the nation seeks a more perfect union of unity in diversity. Generally, the people in Sarawak recognise that diversity should not pose as hindrance in their efforts to promote solidarity and unity among them.
Chief Minister, Datuk Patinggi (Dr) Abang Haji Johari Tun Openg, has promised to pursue Sarawak’s rights as enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 through negotiation, which has been started by his predecessor, the late Pehin Sri Haji Adenan Haji Satem.
The state government under him is determined to get back things that had rightly belonged to Sarawak but had been encroached by the federal government, especially during the period of 22 years under the premiership of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who obviously tried to centralise the power in Putrajaya. The people have spoken loudly on this as manifested in the mandate that they gave to Barisan Nasional in the May 2016 State Election.
Whatever power that Sarawak has lost to Putrajaya, the people want them back to Petra Jaya. Now, Sarawakians are more vigilant because many of the native sons and daughters are highly educated and aware of what is going on. They can see clearly now. They are exerting their rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) because they want to safeguard economic interests for the present and future generations.
It is about reclaiming what God has given to Sarawak and for its fair share of the earth. The late Pehin Sri Haji Adenan Satem, who was renowned for his love of history, said the operative word was that Sarawak was an equal partner in the formation of Malaysia. For this very reason, the state must continue to safeguard its rights and autonomy.
Sarawak did not join Malaysia because at that time, there was no Malaysia to join. Malaysia came into being as a result of an agreement between the Federation of Malaya, Singapore, North Borneo (Sabah) and Sarawak and the British Government as the colonial power.
Since then, Sarawak from the backwater of forests has successfully multiplied its Gross Domestic Products (GDP) and per capita income by leaps and bounds. Besides, the state from the backwater of the 60s is on the verge of industrialisation today.
The state’s primary objective is to build Sarawak for all Sarawakians to have opportunities to provide for themselves and their families and care for their children as well as their old parents. Therefore, the obvious choice of the people in the 14th General Elections (Parliamentary elections for Sarawak) is to vote for continuity.
The people can expect continuity if the federal government under Datuk Seri Mohd. Najib Tun Abdul Razak, as the Prime Minister, is returned with stronger mandate after the General Elections. The people can expect the development programme not only to be continued but further improved under him because he has been proven to be capable and caring; Sarawak must support a leader like Datuk Seri Najib for continuous support in pushing for development in order to become more prosperous and successful towards 2030.
It may be a cliché but it goes without saying that the people must vote for a leader, who has shown to be caring and concerned for the welfare and interests of the people. Datuk Seri Mohd. Najib has made more official visits to Sarawak than any of his predecessors put together. Otherwise, Sarawak will remain out of the radar screen of the federal government. For this reason, Sarawak must work hard to ensure that the federal government will be returned to power with a stronger mandate to ensure that the state will continue to be on the radar screen of the federal government.
The state, being led by Barisan Nasional, will waste time and efforts to argue and quarrel unnecessarily, for example, with the opposition led government at the centre. For Sarawak to attain the status of a developed nation with high–income economy by 2020, it must reach Gross National Income of USD15,000 or RM49,500 as defined by the World Bank. This implies that the state must double real growth to 8.5 per cent per annum from now until the year 2020, which is quite impossible to achieve. Besides, the state must address the issue of income disparity between the urban and rural areas seriously.
The household income is far less favourable as compared to the national average. Households in Sarawak earn an average of RM4,293, which is 14.1 per cent below the national average of RM5,060. Besides, the state is still grappling with the issue of urban–rural income disparity. In 2012, the average rural household income is RM2,754, which is half of the average urban household income of RM5,516. The late Pehin Sri Haji Adenan bluntly put it there were still more poor people in rural areas and rich people in urban areas. Hence, the rural communities, which comprise about 49% of the population, need more attention from the government.
Generally, the mainstream media believe that the Malay and Indian voters are moving back to the Barisan Nasional in Semenanjung Malaysia while Bumiputras in Sarawak and Sabah remain big supporters of the Barisan Nasional. But urban voters will remain largely with the opposition albeit less defiant and robust as the donors must be more discreet in making political donations for fear of the tax men.
However, they will do so out of the hatred for United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), regardless of what Najib has been doing for urban development. Generally, urban voters hate UMNO more than they hate the leadership of Barisan Nasional.
The hatred for UMNO, which overwhelms other considerations, is getting more severe mainly due to jealousy and desire for revenge. In any housing estates in Shah Alam, Ampang or Wangsa Maju, the most beautiful houses, each with at least 10 imported cars, belong to people related to leaders of UMNO. This is very glaring in certain parts of the sprawling city.
But the situation in Sarawak is very different. In Peninsula Malaysia, the Democratic Action Party (DAP) thrives by spreading hatred against UMNO but there is no UMNO here. If there are big houses, each with 10 posh cars in urban areas, they belong to successful non Bumiputra businessmen. The Bumiputras are not jealous and angry with them. Perhaps, the urban voters should consider the local environment and situation before they cast their votes in the forthcoming election.
It is time for them to value their votes by not voting for DAP, a Peninsula – based political party. If they hate UMNO, they should also hate DAP and vote for Sarawak-based political parties, which have the rights and interests of Sarawak at heart. Basically, the 14th General Elections, like Sarawak elections in April 2016 and the previous general elections, is about deciding not only for today or tomorrow but the future of the nation. It is about the future of the people and not just about what matters today. Hence, the people cannot gamble with the election as the outcome entails lots of uncertainties.
In this regard, politics should not be considered a game that could be taken lightly. Otherwise, people with good leadership qualities, training and qualification do not want to be involved in it as they cannot use their knowledge and skills in the services of the people and country through its system. In this respect, the people will be courting uncertainties by falling preys to opposition’s narrow and outdated campaign for change.
Generally, the people and the country cannot afford to have parties in the government quarrelling among them as they will bring uncertainties and disaster in future. Besides, the people must look around for projects in their own areas and in the country as a whole that can be attributed to the opposition. If there is none, then the opposition must be looked upon as a party that talks only but cannot work. Preferably, a candidate must represent a group that can work together and carry out development of the state and country towards the year 2020 and beyond.
A candidate, no matter how clever he may be, cannot implement his ideas efficiently to serve the people and country. Sarawak and by extension, Malaysia can still attract people with good education and training to be involved in the struggle to serve the people and the country.
In some countries, good people tend to migrate to other countries due to political instability in their own countries. In this respect, the country has been able to create an environment for young people with good leadership qualities, education and training to be groomed to take over the leadership of the country when the older generation of leaders decides to step down.
Since the era of the late Tunku Abdul Rahman (first Prime Minister), the country has been able to elect six Prime Ministers without changing the original objective of the struggle to help the people to enjoy greater comfort and prosperity in life. Even Sarawak has had six Chief Ministers.
“Within the last three years, we have changes involving three Chief Ministers. If they happened elsewhere, there would most likely be two or three crises. But no, in Sarawak, things have been going on very smoothly as if nothing happens. No change in the efficiency of the government and no change in the economic atmosphere, which keeps on attracting people comprising tourists, businessmen and investors. The trust of businessmen on the government has not changed even though we have three Chief Ministers in a period of three years.
Where do we get this kind of atmosphere or get this kind of stability? It is not easy to find. Generally, the people must share a common desire to see that Sarawak will have uninterrupted development towards the year 2020 and beyond.
The common struggle must ensure continuous development so that children and grandchildren could enjoy greater prosperity and comfort in life. The development of a country, if done haphazardly without the services of qualified people, will not be able to give benefits to the people and country.
It must be planned properly. Besides, the efforts in development cannot produce results instantaneously; any major development takes time to implement. For this reason, during the elections, the people are reminded to retain the ruling party, which has got good track record of service to ensure continuity in development and progress, which can come to an abrupt end with a change in the government as has happened in Selangor, Penang and for a while in Perak.
Generally, this can be seen in some countries when the people decide to vote for a leader, who does not have the knowledge and experience, to replace the experienced and capable one in the name of change; they end up having chaos and political instability.
The people must show a strong political solidarity in facing the 14th General Elections in order to achieve greater success with continuity at the centre. More importantly, Sarawak must continue to enjoy political stability and support a good political leadership to move forward. Generally, the state has been pursuing healthy politics that takes into consideration the issue of social justice between the more progressive people in towns and cities and those undergoing development in rural areas.
For this reason, the Ibans, Bidayuhs, Orang Ulu, Malays and others have opportunities to be involved in the process of development; the government does not only give attention to people in urban areas only but also those who are still lagging behind in the coastal areas and in the upper reaches of rivers in the hinterlands. Sarawak can become the example where the people do not fight unnecessarily; they do not harbour hatred against each other. They realise that success has been the fruit of working together.
All of them like Chinese, Malays, Ibans, Bidayuhs, Orang Ulu and others know that they have stakes and should work together in pursuit of development and progress. The per capita income has risen up to 10 times as the government has been able to carry out intensive development in rural areas. Lands that used to be idle have been open up to earn some revenue.
For example, the land in and around Saratok has been opened up for oil palm estates. The land in and around Betong that stretches from Spaoh to Ulu Sepak has been planted with oil palm and rubber to bring Betong to the forefront in land development.
Regrettably, some members of the opposition regard rural areas as less important than towns and cities. Worse, some of them regard the emphasis on rural development as a discrimination against urban areas. Obviously, they are new and inexperienced in politics.
They must look closely that the people in urban areas can become more comfortable in life from revenue that can be earned from rural areas. In this regard, Malaysia, if compared with other developing countries, can be considered to be more fair and just in helping to raise the standard of living of the people.
Even the people in rural areas have opportunities to improve their livelihood; this is very important as more than two third of the areas of the state can be considered rural. The population demography of Sarawak has changed from 70% rural and 30% urban in 1970s to about 40% rural and 60% urban currently.
Consequently, major cities and towns like Kuching, Sibu, Bintulu and Miri are coming up bigger and with different skylines. The smaller towns just lie outside these cities and towns in sub-urban areas while the rural villages are in the interior but still accessible by roads.
There are many small ones located in remote and isolated locations, which are not accessible by roads but by rivers. The real challenge is to bring basic amenities to these remote villages.
