BN’s series of lies in Sibu

BN's unkept promises in Sibu date back to 2001, and these days Sibu folks are sceptical with any pledges that come from the ruling regime.

KUCHING: A series of “lies” by the Barisan Nasional since 2008 has left Sibu folks frustrated and fed up, said Sibu MP Wong Ho Leng.

Listing out BN’s unkept promises, Wong said Sibu was sceptical about the latest pledge by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to set up a university college of technology in the constituency by June.

“Clearly it is an election candy. Can we trust the announcement?

“Sibu people have been cheated many times by the BN government. Until the university starts its course, Sibu people do not trust the promise,” he said during his debate on the Governor’s address at the State Legislative Assembly sitting.

Wong said Sibu folks were constantly reminded that on Dec 21, 2001, Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), an ally of BN, had promised a university in Sibu.

“The present Finance Minister II together with his colleagues even claimed that they had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of South Australia (UNISA).

“They even said that the students of United College of Sarawak (UCS) would become the first batch of graduates from this UNISA’s Sibu campus.

“Eleven years have passed. Nobody has seen the shadow of UNISA in Sibu.

“It was a fat lie by the BN leaders. That is the first reason why I had said, we can’t trust the BN’s promise,” Wong said.

He added that in the 2008 parliamentary election, SUPP had promised Sarikei voters that TAR college would be built in Bintagor after winning the election.

‘Sibu needs a university’

He said they even went so far as to say that TAR had identified building for the college to be sited.

“It was another lie. The SUPP won the election but they dishonoured their promise. They sold their integrity. That is the second reason why I had said we can’t trust the BN’s promise, even if buildings were already identified.

“In the Sibu by-election (in May 2010) the prime minister promised that Kolej Laila Taib would become a university. Two years had passed, it is still a college. That is the third reason why I had said we don’t trust the BN’s promises of a university.

“SUPP not only promised us a university in 2001 but a timber conglomerate KTS Sdn Bhd made the Finance Minister II very proud when it promised to give 2,000 acres of land in the west bank of Sibu for the university in Sibu.

“Ten years had passed, can the minister now tell us, where is the 2,000 acres of land promised by KTS?’ he asked.

Wong stressed that Sibu needed a full-fledged university, not a university college.

“We need a world-standard university which meets the aspirations of parents and students alike.

“We need a university capable of churning out students who can get employment and who can chart the country’s future and be genuine masters of tomorrow.

“Our pride is UNIMAS. But its ranking in the world is so far down the list that we prefer not to know.

“Recently, I saw that many graduates from UNIMAS, especially teachers, cannot get placements from the Education Ministry.

“If the government is sincere in investing in the future, please get the ball rolling in Sibu. A good university here will reduce loss of foreign exchange and will arrest the brain drain,” he said.