KUCHING: Stakan SUPP has expressed disappointment with Sarawak PH chairman Chong Chieng Jen over Petronas’ non-payment of sales tax on petroleum products to the Sarawak government.
The least Chong should have done, being a member of the federal Cabinet, said Stakan SUPP, was to demand in Parliament for the unpaid sales tax to be duly settled.
Petronas is under the direct control of the federal government and Chong is Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Deputy Minister.
Stakan SUPP chairman Sim Kiang Chiok said: “(Chong) as a Sarawakian people’s representative in DUN and Parliament, is politicising his party’s support for the Sarawak government’s action in issuing summonses to Petronas to collect the overdue five per cent sales tax.
“Has he forgotten that he is in the PH federal government and a Deputy Minister in the PH Cabinet? Has he forgotten that Petronas is under their total control?
“If he truly cares and as a Sarawakian, he would have demanded the federal government to pay the sales tax in the first place,” said Sim.
“Instead, they are now supporting the suit against Petronas and had the cheek to claim credit for the action, which in my opinion, is a patriotic duty and DAP has no other choice but to support it because it is the correct move,” he added.
“In my view it is clear that his (Chong’s) voice is muted to the PM and Cabinet and now DAP is scrambling to retain some dignity with Sarawakians by showing support to the state government’s noble efforts.
“It is certain that had he received the cooperation of the federal government, he could have easily saved the Sarawak government the unnecessary trouble of having to go through the legal process to collect the sales tax,” Sim added.
Sim thanked the state government for being responsible and prudent in their administration that the state now has over RM32bln in state reserves to sustain the state’s current expenditure despite the delay in payment of the sales tax from Petronas.
Sim said he was also disappointed to note that Chong, who is also Sarawak DAP chairman, had actually supported an attempt by his colleague Violet Yong, who is Pending assemblywoman, in the character assassination of the Chief Minister.
“Her (Violet) accusations in the recent DUN sitting were aimed at non participants in the DUN who were not able to defend themselves in the DUN.
“Her act was one of cowardice as she cunningly hid behind immunity provided in the DUN and evidently nor was she brave enough to repeat her accusations outside the DUN apparently due to fear of prosecution and legal suits,” Sim said.
Sim said Sarawakian were being misled by DAP in not fulfilling all their many promises such as 20 per cent oil and gas royalties, 50 per cent return of income tax collected from Sarawak, 30 per cent development fund from annual federal budget for Sarawak and Sabah.
“There were even more promises made to Malaysians and they failed to fulfill such as recognition of UEC, removal of all highway toll, reduce petrol price to RM1.50 per litre, PTPTN loan defaulters to be forgiven and to stop rare earth factory Lynas, among other promises.”
Sim said Chong should stop being a Malayan agent and apologise to fellow Sarawakians and start being a true Sarawakian fighting for Sarawak.
