Dato Ahmad Ibrahim
KUCHING: Community leaders in the state are appointed and paid monthly allowances by the Sarawak government and therefore as employees of the state, they are bound by circulars and directives by the state government.
“Its not the federal government which pays them allowances, remember that Pakatan Harapan (PH) Sarawak representatives may lie to some people all the time, but they will not be able to continue lying to all the people all the time. The truth will prevail all in good time,” said Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) supreme council member Dato Ahmad Ibrahim.
PBB is the backbone component of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).
Ahmad was reacting to the debate in the media on whether it was right and proper for the State Secretary Office to issue a circular asking community leaders not to attend any activities organised the PH federal government.
He stated that he believed that the circular was a Sarawak Cabinet decision and not the sole decision of the State Secretary Tan Sri Morshidi Abdul Ghani.
“The thing is, the federal government through its agencies like Information Department had stopped assisting GPS State YBs (elected representatives) and the state government agencies. The PH government had even stopped contributing to state community leaders’ allowances. So what do you think we should do?
“And yet PH Sarawak YBs still want to use Sarawak state-funded facilities like the Dewan Suarah (Civic Centres) and organise programmes there while insisting that PH YBs officiate the event. Why would we allow that? When they started all this ‘Hu Ha’ and ‘tit-for- tat’.
We won’t want our state community leaders to be involved with PH Sarawak programmes unless they are Federal Ministry programmes attended by Federal Ministers. We do not want them to use our state-funded facilities like the Dewan Suarah and village community halls to their whim and fancy without being honest and fair to us GPS.”
He pointed out that GPS is friendly to the federal government but that does not give the PH Sarawak YBs, the right to “step on their face” and propagate lies to the people to their whim and fancy.
“If PH Sarawak YBs say GPS is being childish and unfair in utilising tax payers money then what about our projects for rural schools which has been approved but suddenly cancelled with stupid reasonings as ‘no money’. But the Finance Ministry has just approved a number of school projects in Penang as per mentioned in the papers,” he said.
As Sarawakians, be it under PH or GPS, people’s first priority is protecting Sarawak’s interest, he said.
“Put aside our political divide and views and continue fighting for our beloved Sarawak and the people rights to the better. Fight for continuous allocation, funding or projects to benefit state as a whole.
“Think about it, many city councils in Sarawak are managed by GPS-appointed councillors but none of us ever issue stop orders on repairing damage roads, sealing potholes, repairing broken drains. collecting garbage or cutting grass among other things in areas now held by PH recently or even previously.”
“As we service GPS areas we also continue servicing PH or DAP areas. Isn’t that what being a good Sarawakian first is all about?
“Politics aside and putting common interest (for the people of Sarawak), we must value and fight jointly against the injustice to the state. Remember ‘power by the people, for the people’ of Sarawak.
“Use that power wisely to develop, modernise and protect our Sarawak,” said Ahmad.