Ling showing a poster featuring the six federal ministers from Sarawak.
KUCHING: State DAP secretary Alan Ling has called on the six federal cabinet ministers from Sarawak to declare their stance on the 20 per cent oil royalty from Petronas.
According to him, the federal cabinet posts were supposed to serve as an effective platform for the ministers to voice out the needs of Sarawakians to the federal government, such as the increase in oil and gas royalty.
“However, it is regretful to note that neither have the six federal ministers made their stance known nor were they aggressive in pursuing the demand. I wonder if they even raised the issue during the weekly cabinet meeting or not,” he said in a statement yesterday.
The six federal ministers are Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim, Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem as well as ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun and Nancy Shukri.
Ling pointed out that by continuously ignoring the state’s demand served in the form of a motion was tantamount to insulting the State Legislative Assembly which is the legislative branch of a state government, and also a demand made by the executive branch of the state government.
“I hope we do not have to resort to judicial adjudication on this matter like what happened in Terengganu which saw no favourable outcome.”
Ling, who is also Piasau assemblyman, thus urged the six federal ministers to demonstrate their commitment to this issue in the cabinet and openly state their stance.
“They should not leave this to Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem alone as they should shoulder this responsibility and wishes of the Sarawakians by championing this through the channel that they are in now.”
He also opined that if a motion passed by the State Legislative Assembly could be ignored for more than a year by the federal government, the people could not expect more from them such as the request to waive the Goods and Services Tax (GST) for local airfare which has yet to see any progress.
“Are the six federal ministers scared and have chosen to bow down to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak as the sole prerogative to appoint or drop them as cabinet members? I must remind them that it is the people of Sarawak who placed them there and want them to stand up for pertinent issues related to the state.
“Please do not render yourselves as ‘yes-men’ to the federal’s policies that are detrimental to the state’s interest. You are
doing yourself a disservice if you keep quiet in the federal cabinet which will be perceived as irrelevant and ineffective, making your federal posts literally non-existent,” he stressed.
Ling also reiterated the party’s request for the state Barisan Nasional (BN) to give a serious thought to quitting the federal BN pact, so as to render it a minority federal government and for Sarawak to reposition itself as a real kingmaker state to pursue the many rights vanished over the decades due to the ‘stepchild’ treatment and being marginalised by the federal government.
“If they continue to keep mum on the oil royalty issue, I hope they can consider my earlier challenge to them to resign from the ministerial posts, so as to pave the way for all the 25 state BN members of Parliaments to leave the federal BN pact.
“This will give political strength and advantage to Adenan’s state government to fight for more rights to the state and the opposition is ever prepared to rally behind Adenan to do so in the interest of Sarawakians.” Ling emphasised.
Last Thursday (July 2), Batu Lintang assemblyman and state PKR vice-chairman See Chee How challenged the 25 Barisan Nasional (BN) members of parliament from the state to stand with the state assemblymen in supporting chief minister’s fight for 20 per cent petroleum royalty from Petronas.
“We demand that the 25 BN MPs from Sarawak show that their loyalty lies with Sarawak and that all Sarawakians are in one voice in our demand for the oil justice,” See said in a press statement.