Silence Of Sarawak’s Shepherds - Part 3: Confusion All Around

 Silence Of Sarawak’s Shepherds - Part 3: Confusion All Around

“Sarawak would like to thank Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for increasing the fund allocation and the number of health officers to strengthen the country’s health system during this pandemic……However we call on the government not to forget Sarawak. Please give more allocation to Sarawak and increase the number of officers in the state,” quote DCM Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah.

Being in-charge of the COVID.19 disaster management committee and seeing COVID.19 clusters springing all over the place will surely induce a lot of stress on a person and anybody in that position can become slightly disoriented. Reality may suddenly become not be so clear and one may even slip into a confused mode. We certainly hope this not the case with Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah because he seems to be somewhat confused by the realities before him.

The words he spoke are certainly not the words of the king on the top of the hill.

https://www.theborneopost.com/2021/01/18/uggah-urges-putrajaya-not-to-forget-sarawak-when-providing-assistances-to-curb-covid-19/

There was a time though when the Sarawak GPS government was positioning themselves as the kingmaker, both during the dark days when Malaysia was without a prime minister and later, when without-mandate Perikatan Nasional became government and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin became prime minister. That was when, for the very first time in their 57 years history of cohabitation with Malaya and Sabah in Malaysia Sarawakians were filled with so much hope and the future looks filled with the promise of everything good and rosy. It is the kind of feeling that comes with having a vice-like grip on your enemy’s balls and he is completely at your mercy. It was a time to make a demand and issue a threat, knowing well you will get what you demand for. That was at least what Sarawakians imagined it to be and it was a wild feeling.

Datuk Seri Dr. Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar was one of the Sarawak’s lion that was squeezing Malaya’s balls. Many Sarawakians still vividly remember his brave words, ‘ Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) will withdraw its support for interim Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad if Sarawak’s rights are undermined ‘.

Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said GPS leaders wanted Mahathir to fulfil his promises, including those under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and the special rights for Sarawak entrenched in the Federal Constitution, in accordance with the MA63, which he said are strictly non-negotiable.

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/02/27/turn-your-back-on-ma63-and-well-withdraw-support-sarawak-mp-tells-dr-m/

Less than a year after Wan Junaidi brandished his rottan cane at Mahathir and Muhyiddin, DCM Douglas Uggah was begging Muhyiddin to show kindness to Sarawak as the GPS government struggled to shield the rakyat and the economy from the ravages of COVID.19. But let us not be too quick to judge GPS unfavorably. Let us first do a position audit and see if Sarawak had actually achieved any things substantial from squeezing Malaya’s balls.

"Let us see how much has Malaya given in to Sarawak after having their balls put through the mills and shown the rottan cane"

 

1.Devolution Of Powers Within The Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) Framework

Negotiations with the malaya-driven federal government on the devolution of power to the Sarawak state government commenced in July 2016, under the leadership of the late Tan Sri Adenan Satem. In a statement dated the 7th July 2016 Adenan Satem said he expected negotiations to be concluded by end of 2016. He did however qualify his statement by saying devolution of power is a very complex process. By those words he implied that negotiation will most probably extend beyond 2016.

Sarawakians will remember Adenan Satem as very earnest in his words and actions in the fight for Sarawak’s rights under MA63. Unfortunately for Sarawak, Adenan Satem died in January 2017. The baton was passed over to current CM Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari. The highlight of the process under Abang Johari’s leadership on the matter was when Datuk Hanifah Hajar Taib announced that the cabinet committee meeting on MA63 will not be made public. Prior to that, in mid-July 2017 the Sarawak state government had dispatched a team to London to inspect documents pertaining to the MA63.

Until today Sarawakians are in the dark over what the fact-finding team found in London and what transpired during the cabinet committee meeting in Nov 2020. Sarawakians however know that nothing substantive was achieved from the devolution of powers initiatives that were initiated by Adenan Satem.

https://www.astroawani.com/berita-malaysia/devolution-of-powers-to-sarawak-expected-to-end-by-yearend-adenan-110344

https://www.astroawani.com/berita-malaysia/sarawak-cm-lists-13-provisions-of-administrative-empowerment-for-the-state-90788

https://sarawak.gov.my/web/home/news_view/244/8671//

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2020/11/17/govt-stands-firm-on-decision-not-to-disclose-final-report-on-ma63

 

2. Oil And Gas

The principal demand of Sarawak in the matter of the oil and gas resources of Sarawak was a 20% royalty on revenues earned from oil and gas extracted from Sarawak’s territory. The official path to this claim was set on the 6th May 2014 when the Sarawak Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) unanimously agreed to make the demand to the federal government. Unofficially, it went as far back as 2011, when the coalition partners of Pakatan Rakyat (PR) made it their clarion call for Sarawak. Article 6 of PR’s Kuching Declaration 2012 (dated 16th Sept 2012) speaks of oil justice and the 20% royalty. Eight years down the road we see a 5% sales tax on oil & gas products being levied, a product of commercial settlement between Sarawak’s GPS government and the federal government. We see Sarawak taking over the distribution rights for LPG tanks (through SEDC) from Petronas and the taking over of exploration on 2 on-shore natural gas fields.

The 20% royalty is still on the wish list. For all intent and purpose, it is not even a work in progress now.   

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2014/05/06/sarawak-assembly-calls-for-twenty-percent/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuching_Declaration

With all this in mind, should we strive to remain optimistic that our local-bred GPS can still be a real kingmaker for Sarawak, capable of neutralising Umno and PAS influence in PN and actually get the 20% royalty on our O&G resources? I don’t know about you but I have lost not just confidence but hope as well.

GPS does have the lions in their midst to roar loud enough for their malayan partners in Putrajaya (UMNO, PAS, Bersatu) to cow in fear and relent. It is therefore both puzzling and frustrating that they are not roaring. Sarawakians are asking why but I think the time to ask why is long gone. Now is the time for change.

We vividly remember the short period (22 months) when GPS was an opposition in parliament. They were like the majestic lions of the African savanna. Today, as a coalition partner in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) federal government they are like lambs being led to the slaughter. Sarawakians should revert them to where they were effective representatives for Sarawakians - as opposition in parliament and in the Sarawak DUN.

THERE ARE A HUNDRED REASONS OR EXCUSES NOT TO DO SOMETHING WHEN ALL IT NEEDS IS JUST ONE GOOD REASON TO GET IT DONE

 There is a saying – ‘There are a hundred reasons or excuses not to do something when all it needs is just ONE good reason to get it done’.

More so, when ‘that something’ is so pertinent to Sarawak, and Sarawakians – our future and the future of our State and the next generations.

On this premise, it is embarrassing to read of SUPP’s Convention Resolution to the State’s GPS Government to the ‘setting up a Sarawakian Sovereign Fund to ensure that the future generations will continue to benefit from the Oil and Gas revenues even after the depletion of our Oil and Gas resources’.

Really ? 

Having being part of the Government of the day for donkey years, is SUPP’s sudden awakening from its slumber been triggered by ‘election fever’ ?

Or are SUPP Leaders suffering from political amnesia or running out of ideas on how to bring Sarawak to greater heights, despite being in the State Government for the past 47 years with BN or GPS and making hay while the sun shines ? Yes – for 47 years !

Yet, SUPP and GPS aka ex-BN Leaders had constantly turned a deaf ear and had in fact denied Sarawakians at least 3 times…..over the setting up of a State Sovereign Fund !

1st Denial

This State Sovereign Fund proposal was first mooted by YB See Chee How as early as 2014 when he suggested to the then CM, the late Tok Nan “to stamp his mark and that of his administration as clean, transparent and accountable, the new Chief Minister should set a deadline to constitute a sovereign wealth fund for the purpose of fulfilling the rights and benefits of all Sarawakians in terms of education, health and rural development and generally to improve their lives and livelihood.” (The Star, 7/6/2014)

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2014/06/07/sovereign-wealth-fund-crucial-for-overall-progress-says-see

2nd Denial

YB See Chee How repeated the call to the State Government to consider setting up a State Sovereign Fund in September 2019 – this time, under the new and current Chief Minister YAB Datuk Patinggi (Dr) Abang Zohari. (Borneo Post, 12/9/2019)

https://www.theborneopost.com/2019/09/12/see-state-govt-should-set-up-state-sovereign-wealth-fund-for-petroleum-related-projects/

3rd Denial

As expected, See’s noble and patriotic call fell on deaf ears and this State Sovereign Fund never got to see the light of day.

Notwithstanding the sound of silence from SUPP and GPS Leaders, YB See pressed on and issued another timely on the notion that ‘what’s good for Sarawak deserves another round of reminder’, and it is something YB See Chee How pressed the State GPS Government once again to reconsider the ‘setting up a wealth fund under the watch of the state legislative assembly to manage petroleum resources in the state, to ensure that all Sarawakians have a fair share in ownership and obtain equitable benefits from the resources.’ ( FMT, 18/9/2020 )

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/09/18/set-up-wealth-fund-to-manage-sarawaks-petroleum-resources-says-state-rep/

How do we expect YB See Chee How’s ‘State Sovereign Fund’s seed to sprout, not to mention bear fruit when it keeps falling on GPS aka ex-BN arid, unproductive and infertile ‘political soil’ all these years ?

Whatever happened to ‘Sarawak comes first !’ ?

If ‘I’m IN !’ or ‘We’re IN ! ‘ , why are they not ‘IN’ for this ‘State Sovereign Fund’ by supporting YB See Chee How’s call ?

It’s obvious Sarawak has a problem with the political farmer, not the seed or soil. 

For 47 years….47 long years ! 

Not trying to cry over spilt milk but just the lost opportunities which went with it.

Yet SUPP Leaders now have the audacity to create political drama by using its Convention to reinvent the wheel by parroting YB See Chee How’s call with YAB CM Abang Jo agreeing to the idea riding on the artificial sweetener that “Hopefully, by middle of 2024-2035, we may have additional (money) so we invest into our sovereign fund, and that will make Sarawak financially strong,” he said, Dayak Daily reported. “But, let this (coming state) election makes us stronger,” 

If this isn’t political drama and carrot-dangling, what else is it then?

GPS is creating political drama to hoodwink Sarawakians into believing that it will start something which it had failed to do so when crude oil prices were at sky-high prices back in the 80s and 90s.

Do we still want to fall for and believe in their ‘but, let this (coming state) election make us stronger first’ gimmick ?

Just remember – We can never make the same mistake twice. The second time we make it, it’s no longer a mistake. It’s a choice.

For 47 long years, we have lived with the mistake of giving our trust to GPS and ex-BN.

Lest we forget -  SUPP was, and still is part of this mistake.