LAMBIR assemblyman Ripin Lamat took a swipe at Kota Sentosa assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen for accusing the state government of glorifying the White Rajah when debating the Sarawak Heritage Bill 2019.
Ripin said by acknowledging the history particularly the heritage left by the White Rajah James Brooke, the state was learning lessons from its past, and not glorifying the British colonists.
“There are lessons learned from history. Don’t invite outside people to rule our own state. This is the lesson learned.
“Democratic Action Party (DAP) should emulate the same thing. It is history, we cannot delete it. So the White Rajah film (shot here recently), we can take it as an opportunity to tell our people not to invite outsiders to rule our state.
“That means don’t invite DAP, PKR, Amanah (Malayan-based parties) to the state,” he said while debating the Bill yesterday.
Chong, who is also the state DAP and PH chairman, during the debate on the Bill accused the state government of over-glorifying the White Rajah James Brooke including assisting in the filming of the movie recently.
Chong said it was inappropriate for the state government to do so while the real heroes like Iban warrior Rentap and Malay leader Syarif Masahor were branded as villains and went unrecognised for rising up against the British colonists at the time.
Ripin also accused the DAP of being worse than the British colonists by promoting communist propaganda through the recently banned ‘Belt and Road’ comic.
“The communists have killed thousands of Ibans and Malays during the Emergency. So actually they (DAP) are the one promoting the ideology, which had killed our Iban and Malay soldiers.
“Therefore, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) is the best for the state. Not outsiders like DAP,” he added.