KUCHING: The State Cabinet will discuss the proposed White Paper to curb unhealthy political trends in the state at its next meeting on Dec 9.
IT’S OFFICIAL: Dr Chan sounds the gong to mark the start of the two-day conference. Looking on (from left) are Universiti Malaysia Sarawak Engineering Faculty dean Prof Dr Wan Hashim Wan Ibrahim, vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Khairuddin Abdul Hamid, Malaysian Solid State Science and Technology Society president Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Muhamad Yahya and conference chairman Prof Dr Sinin Hamdan.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan said the Cabinet would discuss whether to formulate legislation based on the White Paper, which was tabled and passed at the recent State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting.
“One of the (items on the) agendas is to discuss about the White Paper. Only then would we be able to know its outcome,” he told reporters after officiating at the Third International Conference on Solid State Science and Technology 2010 yesterday.
Should the White Paper be endorsed by the state government, Sarawak is set to become the first state to have its own set of guidelines to curb unhealthy political practices, which might disrupt racial harmony or cause religious tension.
Dr Chan stressed the White Paper would not target specific individuals or prohibit opposition leaders from entering the State.
“Why should the State be restricting opposition leaders from coming in? The White Paper would not prevent anybody from coming into the state. The White Paper is to ensure that any destabilising elements from outside the state would not come in.
“We will wait and see what the report is and what needs to be done. Please be assured that the White Paper is not to targeting anybody.”
The White Paper was passed following a motion from Asajaya assemblyman Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah during last month’s DUN sitting.
Pantai Damai assemblyman Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi, who was among those in favour of the motion, said the White Paper was necessary as a warning to those from outside the state who have perverse ambitions or ill intentions to cause havoc here.
The White Paper’s main objective is to detail the activities and actions undertaken by various individuals, organisations and media from outside Sarawak as well as the appropriate actions to be taken against them should they endanger the state’s racial stability and security.