‘Unite Sarawakians for strong voice’

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See (centre) during the press conference yesterday. Also seen are PKR women national vice-president Voon Shiak Ni (left) and See’s personal assistant Jeffrey Mok.

See (centre) during the press conference yesterday. Also seen are PKR women national vice-president Voon Shiak Ni (left) and See’s personal assistant Jeffrey Mok.

KUCHING: Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How has called on all responsible politicians in Sarawak to focus on uniting all Sarawakians to nurture and fortify the evolution of a meaningful Sarawakian nationalism.

Additionally, See said politicians in the state should emphasise and inspire inclusiveness of all Sarawakians and avoid isolationism and xenophobia to ensure that Sarawak will have a strong voice and force to back the efforts in the negotiations and demands for the devolution of federal power and the return of the rightful autonomous power to Sarawak.

“SUPP secretary-general Datuk Sebastian Ting Chew Yew and SUPP president Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian should therefore not advocate isolationism and xenophobia which will only divide and weaken the Sarawakian resolve,” he said in a press conference here yesterday.

See, who is also state PKR vice- chairman, said he took exception to Ting’s unnecessary use of labels of ‘Malayan’ with a contemptuous statement on Monday that they did not understand the minds of true Sarawakians.

See stated that over the last two years, inside and outside the Sarawak State Assembly, whether from the ruling coalition parties or from the opposition, the legislators and political leaders from the divides have shown that it is ‘Sarawak First’ when it comes to the interest and rights of Sarawak.

“Hence, we have witnessed an evolution of a nourishing and meaningful Sarawakian nationalism. This is something I am proud of, a unique political progression not seen elsewhere in the country.”

Taking a swipe at the statement made by Ting, See reminded the former that he should be mindful that SUPP joined the Malaysian Alliance in 1970 and was one of the founding partners of ‘Barisan Nasional’ in 1974 and the coalition government that proposed and passed the Constitutional Amendment Act (Act A354) which came into force on Aug 27, 1976.

“There were seven SUPP MPs in Parliament then. Further, and more recent, the passing of the damning Territorial Seas Act 2012 in Parliament. There were six SUPP MPs in the Malaysia Parliament and Datuk Ting was then Parliamentary Political Secretary to the Federal Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water, Tan Sri Peter Chin.

“Maybe Datuk Ting can enlighten us (as to) why their MPs voted for that Territorial Seas Act 2012, while all opposition MPs opposed it.”

See said he is proud to have alerted the Sarawak State Assembly with his motion to censure the Territorial Seas Act 2012 and the whole august house had on Dec 8, 2015 unanimously voted for a collective motion in the name of the then Minister of Land Development, to inter alia, safeguard and protect the territorial boundary and jurisdiction of the state.

On Ting’s statement that See should be able to differentiate the English usage of capital ‘S’ and lowercase ‘s’ in referring to the states that made the Federation of Malaysia, See said he did not wish to delve further and continue any argument with Ting.

“Contrary to what the SUPP secretary-general tried to argue, the provisions in the Malaysia Agreement that he referred confirmed that the word ‘State’ was used, not ‘region’.

“Suffice for me to point out that if the honourable member of Piasau had read my statement carefully, he would have noticed that I have used ‘State’ with capital ‘S’ in all my references to Sarawak.”

In his statement issued on Sunday, See said he pointed out the use of the word ‘State’ in the Malaysia Agreement and the Federal Constitution, and he stated his opinion that because of the constructions and formulation of the provisions in the Malaysia Agreement, Sarawak and Sabah being expressed and termed ‘States’ does not in any way derogate Sarawak and Sabah.

“I pointed out that it was made clear in the Malaysia Agreement that the States of Sarawak and Sabah did not relinquish all their sovereignty and jurisdiction in respect of the matters in the States, that the States of Sarawak and Sabah and the State of Singapore federated with the States of the Federation of Malaya and our (States of Sarawak and Sabah) positions are conditional upon the legislative, executive or other actions to safeguard, uphold and protect the assurances, undertakings and recommendations of the Cobbold Commission and Inter-Governmental Committee Reports.”

See said: “I reiterated what is stated in Article VIII of the Malaysia Agreement, which gives us the substantial basis for our negotiations and demands for the devolution of federal power and returning our deserved autonomous power to Sarawak.”

See said he could only suggest that Ting and Dr Sim take heed of the advice from their colleague, the Chief Political Secretary to the Chief Minister who is also the state Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club chairman Abdullah Saidol, that the question of substance is Sarawak’s claims from the federal government within the fundamental provisions or philosophy of the Malaysia Agreement at first instance and within the ambit of the Constitution.