By : SHAZWAN MUSTAFA KAMAL
KUALA LUMPUR : Pakatan
Rakyat (PR) will adhere to the proper spirit of federalism and ensure that
Sarawak is accorded as much rights and privileges as other states should the
opposition come to power in the future, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.
The PR de facto leader said
today his coalition does not view the state as a “fixed deposit” for any party,
and that Sarawak is more important than just winning votes.
“Sarawak for us is an equal
partner in the Federation of Malaysia. In our vision of the future, Sarawakians
will shape their state while aiding the wider federation to become more unified
and strong.
“This is the true spirit of
federalism Malaysia espoused when it was formed in 1963,” Anwar (picture) said
in a special Gawai address today.
He stressed that the rights
of all Sarawakians must be made a priority by the government of the day, and
that the state must cease to play “second fiddle” in Malaysian politics
especially when it came to issues affecting them.
He said it was regrettable
that many Sarawakians still lacked basic access to education, basic amenities,
healthcare and employment opportunities despite Sarawak being Malaysia’s
largest state and a crucial contributor to the country’s oil and gas revenue.
“It is regrettable that the
majority in resource-rich Sarawak do not enjoy the benefits of being in a
blessed state. That must change, that has to change.
“I believe that the winds of
change have begun to drift onto the shores of Sarawak,” Anwar said, referring
to the results of last year’s Sarawak state election.
He said the state election
results were proof that many Sarawakians are “waking up” to the various abuses
of the present state government.
Although Barisan Nasional
(BN) managed to keep its two-thirds legislative majority but last year’s state
election results have shattered the coalition’s invincibility and the notion of
a fixed deposit in future elections.
BN won 55 of the 71 state
seats, much fewer than the 62 seats the coalition won in the previous 2006
Sarawak state election. This time around, the DAP won 12 state seats while PKR
won three.
Sabah and Sarawak are equal partners to Malaya and this agreement must be fulfilled.
ReplyDeleteThe agreement was made during the Malaysia formation between Sabah, Sarawak and Semenanjung. Hope that the Federal Government will start treating us as equal partners.
ReplyDeletehak2 Sabah dan Sarawak dalam Malaysia harus diperjuangkan.
ReplyDeleteYup, kerajaan harus sentiasa menjaga hak2 rakyat yang termaktub dalam 20 points.
DeleteDo not put high hope on PR that they will practice equality towards Sabahans and Sarawakians.
ReplyDeleteSabah tidak dapat mula pula PR mencari peluang di Sarawak.
ReplyDeletePR pun mulai memancing di Sawarak dengan equal partner
ReplyDeleteSarawak saja yang dapat equal partner la? macam mana dengan Sabah?
ReplyDeletejangan percaya sangat dengan bekas TPM yang pernah terlibat dengan pelbagai skandal rasuah, liwat dan seks ini..
ReplyDelete