Soo (second left) in a group photo with (from left) Aspirasi deputy president Hugh Lawrence Zehnder, assistant treasurer Albert Voon and chairman Buln Ribos.
KUCHING: Parti Aspirasi Rakyat Sarawak (Aspirasi) president Lina Soo has questioned whether Gabungan Parti Sarawak’s (GPS) move to form the federal government with Perikatan Nasional (PN) is a political sellout of the people of Sarawak.
“Or is this an ‘Iceberg Theory’ stance of GPS?” she asked in reference to a concept coined by American writer Ernest Hemingway to describe a phenomenon where only a small amount of information is visible and the ‘real’ information is unrevealed or not available.
She wondered if indeed GPS’ support of PN came with a few surprises and some goodies for the state, would this be enough?
“What are the terms of negotiation, if any? Is the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and Sarawak’s position on our ownership and economic rights over our oil and gas part of the deal?” she said in a statement today.
Soo urged the state government to publish White Paper setting out the road map which lists all the legitimate demands of Sarawakians in regards to MA63, oil and gas and territorial boundaries.
“The paper must also cover all legislations which have compromised the sovereignty of Sarawak and necessary actions to repeal all such legislation.”
She stressed that GPS must also include the undertaking to have a state-wide consultation process through a referendum to ascertain the wishes of the people whether it is tenable to stay in the federation after 57 years of domination, subjugation and exploitation.
“This can be legitimately conducted by the Sarawak government under State List II item 10 of the Intergovernmental Report 1962,” she added.
She pointed out that if GPS were to stay silent, it is akin to making a statement that Sarawakians are happy to remain in the federation and this will “allow the bullying to continue.”
“Our current position must be transformed into a platform for change. Both Barisan National and Pakatan Harapan regimes had shortchanged the people of Sarawak, and the buck must stop here. Now what remains to be answered is can GPS deliver?”
She said Sarawakians today have a chance to make things right for themselves, their children and future generations.
“We have been let down by our politicians and the British in the past, and Sarawak is now on the threshold of able to rectify many of the past mistakes.
“The people of Sarawak shall rise up and declare zero tolerance for political betrayal. We will decide for ourselves and not kowtow to politicians and the elites.”
She warned that if the state government does not listen to the people and address all the wrongs inflicted upon the people in the past, they shall suffer the consequences in the next state election.