Exasperated at Barisan Nasional's continuous crowing of its twin wins in last Thursday's Galas and Batu Sapi elections, Sarawak DAP has challenged the state BN to dissolve the State Legislative Assembly within a week and call for polls if it was “so confident” of the people's support.
“I challenge the state BN government to call for the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly within one week and hold election within one month, if the ruling party is confident that the people are coming back to support the BN,” said DAP secretary Chong Chieng Jen.
The irritated call from the opposition stemmed from last Friday's sitting of the State Legislative Assembly where “one BN assemblyman after another” stood up to glorify the party's wins, attributing it to a return of the people's faith in BN.
“If you (BN) don’t dare, all this song of praises regarding BN’s two victories is only self-deceit.
"After the Nov 4 by-election, several state assemblymen started to sing their praises in the assembly...
“This is totally wasting taxpayers’ money, given that there are 16 days only in the year for the assembly to discuss important issues,” said Chong, who is also Kota Santosa assemblyman.
On the defeat of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition in Batu Sapi, Chong said that the message from the constituency is very clear: there is no place for any independent in Malaysian politics.
“Sabah Progressive Party is regarded as an independent as it stood alone. Yong Teck Lee, who stood as its candidate, has been Sabah’s chief minister, and regarded as a force, yet he came last.
“The people rejected an independent as clearly shown by the result of the by-election,” he said.
An optimistic Chong said the outcome bore well for the shaping of a bipartisan political front in the country.
“The people are mature enough to see that independents are just opportunists who are interested in raising issues for personal gains at the expense of democracy,” he added.
SUPP spineless
On land issue, Chong expressed regret that the BN had again rejected the Bill on Land Law Reform, which the DAP had proposed to table at the sitting of the State Legislative Assembly.
During the last session when the opposition tried to table the Bill, Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) assemblymen staged a walk-out, causing the assembly to lose the quorum.
“The party hid behind the lack of qurom after SUPP assemblymen walked out. This time it has no way to hide, so its true colour shows. The BN voted against it.
“George Chan (SUPP president and deputy Chief Minister) came out with a frivolous statement... we don’t need this sort of actor,” Chong said.
He said that Chan should seek the opinions of lawyers who are members of his party on whether the current Land Code is fair to landowners, especially under Sections 47, and on renewal and premium.
“Ask them to speak truthfully whether the current Land Code provides sufficient protection to landowners in Sarawak,” he said, adding that the problem facing landowners in Bako now could also happen to any landowner in Sarawak.
“The only way to prevent it from happening and to protect the landowners is to repeal the current Land Code and to substitute it with a new Land Code, which we have proposed.
“Regrettably, SUPP has rejected it,” he added. - FMT
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