Sarawak PKR slams BN’s track record

Joseph Tawie

KUCHING: The Barisan Nasional state government has not only failed its citizens but also turned resource-rich Sarawak into the fourth poorest state in Malaysia, said Sarawak PKR chairman Baru Bian.

“I believe the voters know the real situation, BN has failed Sarawakians for the past 47 years. Where has the wealth gone? Is this BN’s track record that the voters want to maintain?” he asked.

Bian was reacting to Sarawak’s Minister of Housing and Urban Development Abang Johari Tun Openg.

Johari had said that the voters knew the real situation in Pakatan Rakyat and advised them that if they wanted a bright future for themselves and their children, they should continue to stand by the BN government which has a proven track record of delivering its promises.

In his response Bian said: “Batang Ai was promised RM60 million in development projects in the last by-election. How much of that RM60 million has been delivered? I would like to find out from Johari!”

Defending the states under Pakatan, he said that in the recent Auditor-General’s report, Penang came out number one in their audit and had surplus revenue.

“This is historic and a clear thumbs-up from the government’s own auditor-general. As for Selangor, it enacted a bill on environmental protection unlike Sarawak where they are chopping everything down indiscriminately and it also enacted a freedom of information bill that did not gag the media.

“Both Penang and Selangor practise transparency and good governance with the open tender system. Selangor even has a website for the public to check on government tenders. Has any BN state done this?” he asked.

Bian said that free water is given to all Penangites and Selangorians, even BN politicians are enjoying free water in these two states.

“Can BN states say the same? Has Sarawak brought clean piped water to the rural folks, let alone give them free water?” he added.

The opposition leader said Selangor has shown that it respected the rights of the Orang Asli.

In the Sagong Tasi case, the compensation given by the current Pakatan government to Orang Asli affected by the previous BN government’s encroachment on their lands resulted in many of them receiving millions of ringgit.

“Is Johari willing to compensate the people whose lands are similarly affected in Sarawak?” he asked, adding that the state government should not have appealed in the cases which the natives won.

“It is still not too late if they are serious in recognising NCR (Native Customary Rights) claims. They can still withdraw those appealed cases.

“In the Sagong Tasi case, the Pakatan state government withdrew the appeal initiated by the previous BN government with the Federal Court,” said the prominent NCR land lawyer.

There are more than 200 NCR land cases pending hearing in the High Court here.

courtesy of Hornbill Unleashed