Voon Shiak Ni
KUCHING: Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s claim that only the ruling government could safeguard the fate of civil servants and Bumiputera rights is ‘an unjustified statement’, says PKR Women national vice-president Vook Shiak Ni.
She said such statement could only mislead the people.
“His statement saying that only the ruling coalition could safeguard the fate of civil servants and Bumiputera rights, not the opposition, seems to ‘coerce’ the people to vote for BN (Barisan Nasional),” she said in a press statement recently.
Voon, who is also PKR Stampin vice-chairperson, was responding to the statement made by Ismail Sabri on Feb 23 here, asking whether Malaysians wanted to keep the present government that could safeguard the rights of the Bumiputeras, or to choose the Democratic Action Party (DAP)-led government that emphasised on the equality of all races.
The minister also said that the ruling government had been taking good care of the Bumiputeras, especially through policies that protected their rights and privileges, without hindering or limiting other races from becoming successful in the country.
“Of the two options, I think we have no choice – if we want to maintain Bumiputera rights, we have to maintain the BN government,” Ismail Sabri said, pointing out that the civil service would be under serious threat should the opposition become the ruling government.
In response to the minister’s statement that ‘it is up to the civil servants if they want to keep their jobs or choose another government who will throw them out’, Voon said this was clearly an intimidation tactic to fish for votes – a violation of the democratic principles and process, she added.
“Did he (Ismail Sabri) see this happening in the Selangor and Penang governments – both led by the Pakatan (Harapan)? Did the change in the state government lead to the sacking of the civil servants in these states?”
On Ismail Sabri’s call for Sarawakians to vote for more BN MPs in the next parliamentary polls, Voon pointed out that Sarawakians had been giving BN more than 80 per cent of support over the past 50 years but it was lagging behind in terms of development.
“It seems that we are still years behind in the development of infrastructure and basic facilities like clean water supply (and) electricity connection. There are hundreds of schools in dire need of repair works; not to mention, the pile-up of pending Native Customary Rights (NCR) land issues plaguing the Bumiputeras here – the list goes on.”
Voon said despite being rich in natural resources, Sarawak was still considered as among the poorest states in Malaysia.
“The Sarawakians’ hope now is to get back our rights and also revenues from our natural resources; it seems that we’re given only a promise of autonomy and devolution, without a timeframe.”