Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing
KUCHING: Pakatan Harapan (PH) is trying to use the affairs of the community leaders to divide and rule people of Sarawak, said Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing.
According to him, the standard operating procedure in the appointment of community leaders in Sarawak has been in practice for many years.
In the case of the Iban community, Masing said the Tuai Rumahs were elected by their respective charges before the Sarawak government could endorse their elections.
He added that the same applies to the Orang Ulu community, but their community leaders’ elections were governed by their own norms in term of social structure.
“We will never allow nor agree with the Pakatan Harapan government to have two Tuai Rumahs (KK) to administer one longhouse. Divide and rule is not acceptable. Please do not take us for a fool,” said Masing in a press statement today.
He said for the PH federal government to assume all community leaders were appointed by the state was a reflection of their ignorance of Sarawak social structure and culture of the people in Sarawak.
He made the remarks to clarify Deputy Minister of Rural Development R. Sivarasa’s comment that the PH is going to rebrand the village security and development committee (JKKK) structure to that of community development management council (MPKK) in the pretext of changing the structural organisation of community leaders.
Meanwhile, in responding to Sivarasa’s comment that PKR firmly rejects dirty politics and gutter politics, Masing said the emergence of gutter politics into Sarawak was something new.
“Sarawak does not nor condone gutter politics in our state. We will exercise our immigration autonomy if anybody tries to bring it (gutter politics) in to gain political position.”
Masing hoped that those who play gutter politics would have the books thrown at them and those who tried to tarnish the image of their political rivals be penalised.