KUCHING: Pakatan Harapan could suffer a similar fate in Sarawak as in the Tanjung Piai by-election on Saturday if it does not fulfil its pledges on revenue-sharing, a PBB leader said today.
PBB vice-president Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said unkept promises to share 50% of taxes collected in Sarawak, and 20% oil royalties, were haunting the state PH leadership.
He expected a further swing of voters away from PH at the next state elections if the promises were not met, similar to the defeat suffered by PH at the Tanjung Piai by-election on Saturday.
Political analyst Awang Azman Awang Pawi of Universiti Malaya agreed that the promises of revenue-sharing should be kept.
However, it would be too early to determine whether PH would share the same fate in Sarawak as it did in Tanjung Piai.
“Sarawak PH is responsible to prove that these promises are not merely ‘pie in the sky’. Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen did make these unconditional promises, saying that the promises would be fulfilled once PH takes over the federal government,” he said.
Karim said the Tanjung Piai result was a reflection of the people’s frustration with the present federal government.
The people had expected changes when they voted for PH in the 2018 general election, “but instead what they see is a bunch of ministers who are even worse than before”.
He said the economy was not improving, national debts were increasing, there were flip-flop policies “and PH government leaders keep on blaming the previous one”.
To make things worse, he said the different parties within the PH coalition were also seen to be undermining each other.
Awang Azman said Sarawak PH must prove to Sarawakians that they are able to fulfill what they promised since they have the upper hand in making important decisions and policies in Putrajaya.
“Otherwise, Sarawakians will reject PH and Sarawak DAP’s seats will definitely be affected,” he said. - FMT
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