Abdullah Saidol
KUCHING: The Chief Minister will decide on whether July 22 should be called Sarawak Independence Day or Sarawak Day, said Assistant Minister of Corporate Affairs Abdullah Saidol.
Speaking to journalists here yesterday, he said Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg will listen to the voices of the majority before arriving at a decision.
“The majority want July 22 maintained as Sarawak Day. The sentiment is that many want it (July 22) to be a permanent celebration and a public holiday,” he said after the launch of ‘Sarawak Beyond Paradigm Summit 2019’ at Pullman Hotel here.
Abdullah said Sarawakians cannot ignore the significance of July 22 while urging them to celebrate the occasion within the context of history which led to the signing of Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and the formation of Malaysia.
According to him, it matters more for Sarawakians to pursue the journey of seeking restoration of their state’s rights and interest enshrined in MA63 and the Federal Constitution.
“We don’t want to be hostile about it. Some people are extreme about Sarawak exiting Malaysia.
“I think we can understand such frustration because they may view the negotiation with the current federal government as a bit slow.”
He pointed out it did not help that a federal minister had recently said a 20 per cent oil and gas royalty to Sarawak ‘could kill Petronas’.
“This more or less gives an impression that the federal government does not take us seriously in our negotiation,” he said.
Abdullah said Sarawak was not asking for more than what was stipulated under MA63 and the Federal Constitution.
He added that the negotiation between the federal and Sarawak governments “is all about restoring our rights and interest because we need to make sure Sarawak’s economy and coffers are strong”.
“Most of the infrastructure development is handled by the state government as it seems that the federal government is not giving us much fund. So what choice do we have?
“When the Minister of Finance said we could go bankrupt given our budget, he is taking us for granted, and this is not good in our negotiation,” he asserted.
As such, he proposed that the federal government take Sarawak’s demand seriously lest the frustration among the people become bigger.
“We don’t know how it’s going to be like. For the time being, GPS (Gabungan Parti Sarawak) government won’t approach in a hostile manner. But please take us seriously.
“Hopefully we gain some ground before end of the year. We can’t wait; development has to take place,” he said.
Abdullah felt that the federal government should stop issuing statements that might impede the ongoing negotiation with the Sarawak government.
He said all Sarawakians wanted to see is “very convincing results” from the negotiation.
“In general, we want to be in Malaysia. The federal and state relations have to improve and negotiation must produce results. Don’t take us for granted and don’t suppress the view of the people. This is a new Malaysia,” he added.