‘State to ask for correct thing at correct time’ By Churchill Edward, Zora Chan and Wan Ali Amit
The Borneo Post Press, Wednesday ( 10th Sept 2008)
KUCHING: The state does not want to quarrel with the federal government on any issue especially on the increase in oil royalty, said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan.
Dr Chan, however, added that the state would ask for “… the correct thing at the correct time”.
He was reacting to former Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Harris Mohd Salleh last weekend calling for an increase in oil royalty for Sarawak and Sabah from five to 25 per cent.
Harris had said the time (now) was right for Sabah and Sarawak legislative assemblies to demand for an increase in oil royalty.
Although he did not state the reasons why the two states should exert demand, it is believed that he thought that the time was right due to the current political situation.
“This could be done at the next sitting of the state legislative assemblies,” Harris was quoted as saying in a letter dated Sept 2.
With such statement, Dr Chan appeared to disagree with Harris that now was the right time for Sabah and Sarawak to demand for an increase in oil royalty.
Dr Chan, who is also Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture and Minister of Industrial Development, denied that Sarawak had never asked for more or sufficient funds.
He pointed out that the state had always hinted that it wanted more funds from the federal government for various projects, but it did not have to come from oil money alone.
“We have always maintained that we are lagging behind other states in term of development; we are far behind and we need to catch up with the others.
“Sure we will ask for the correct things at the correct time. We are all in the federation and there is appropriate time to ask for appropriate things.
“We will know what to do. Whether funds come from oil or not, they are all from the federal coffer.
“There is no point quarrelling about this thing. But as long we have sufficient fund, that would be fine,” said Dr Chan, who is Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) president.
He went on saying that oil royalty issue involved a lot of things.
“Let us say that we ask for a 25 per cent increase, the federal government can always say ‘yes, but they might cut off other funds,” he said.
“They can always say that the state can pay for things like medical expenses or food after they increase our oil royalty. At the end of the day - plus minus here and there - we all go back to square one.”
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Dear Dato Patingi George Chan,
We joined Federation of Malaysia for 45 years under 20-points agreement. Under that agreement we will be protected from any military threat from Indonesia (Confrontation). Therefore, Sarawak agreed ( Tun Jugah and the gang only) to join the federation of Malaya to get protected from air raid and nuclear bomb by Sukaerno. Apart from that matter, we agree to give all we have and keep less for Sarawakians. Now, 45 years is such a very long payment time to Malaya and I think that now is the right time to ask for 25% royalty.
It is time to get back to Racism issue?
Dato Patingi,
You should take Mr. Ahmad Ismail (Bukit Bendera MP) “joke” on the Chinese status in Malaya and Jerai MP “fairy tale” on Islamic country which required those who do not belong to Malaya to get back to Beijing and Calcutta. Both are provocation to non-Malay and non-Muslim and they are sign of UMNO's short-sighted action which invited disaster to the racial harmony and freedom. You should believe that we will only gain racial freedom and tolerance if we respect others. It’s is something like what SUPP has done to the Bidayuh few years before under Stephen Yong and Yong Khoon Seng. Padawan road was developed by “government” under PBB and it takes them centuries to pave the road from Tapah to Kampung Begu. Now, how long it takes to pave it from Begu to Annah Rais? Why do we have to put Borneo Highland Resort at first and sidelined the people surround it? I think you should know that your guy (Jerip) is there to give you an answer. Some of the villages even could not get treated water supply too. And sad to say that they are under Bengoh constituency. You should make a check and balance before you put some puppet to play joke with the Bidayuh. Now, Padawan has no proper public transport due to bad business of STC (Sarawak Transport Company) performance at Padawan area. Can SUPP persuade STC to restore buses operation since STC is SUPP business?
Dato Patinggi,
We cannot afford to give more all the time and get less. 45 years under regime governance is enough for now. We should have our own highway from Miri to Kuching as what PLUS has right now. We should have less fuel price since your town produces much oil. Please review SUPP place in BN because we are called immigrant and not needed in the coalition. What can we get with 5%? You should think about it as same as what Harris Salleh did. He has just wake up from deadliest sleep and I think his business in Sabah is now slowing down. You benefited a lot from 5% but not the people of Sarawak. 20-points of agreement must be respected and review by Pak Lah and the pirates or else SUPP will face a great downfall on the next state election. You know how to play with Riot but not with the whole Bidayuh.
Unnecessary act of an idiot.
The right time to bargain is now or else Anuar Ibrahim will reward us 5.5 % revenue soon. Be as a wise politician because the people voted you and not you to vote them.
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