Soo Li Chin
KUCHING: Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) president Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh’s remarks on his party’s state election manifesto have been labelled a ‘slap in the face for himself’.
In a press statement on Tuesday, Soo Li Chin — a political secretary to the Chief Minister — said Wong’s latest statement which covered Sarawak’s oil and gas (O&G) rights and Native Customary Rights (NCR) land completely contradicted his previous stance while still in the state government.
She said last year, when still Second Minister of Finance, Wong had officially announced that Sarawak had the right to levy petroleum product sales tax up to 10 per cent under the Federal Constitution, Item 95C, and Tenth Schedule List.
However, considering the federal financial distress, the state government only levied at five per cent.
“Obviously, Wong’s remarks during his past ministerial authority and current standpoint were a total slap in his own face. Before he left the cabinet, Wong was also one of the ministers who was involved in O&G policy and the revision of the Sarawak Land Code policy, which were discussed and agreed in the cabinet. He was also the one who agreed and voiced no objection or raised no issues at all on the amendment done on the Sarawak Land Code for the NCR land issue,” said Soo.
“And yet, Wong has been going round the whole Sarawak trying to mislead and confuse Sarawakians that PSB will review again the NCR land issue, which has already been done by the GPS (Gabungan Parti Sarawak) government for Sarawakians’ well-being.”
According to her, GPS has always prioritised the protection of Sarawak’s rights and interests.
She said the rights and interests of Sarawakians can be safeguarded through strategic legal procedures, and pragmatic claims of Sarawak’s O&G taxes.
Soo claimed PSB is acting like a Peninsular Malaysia political party by constantly criticising and creating misleading issues without giving constructive opinions and contributions.
She further claimed PSB’s main aim is not to build Sarawak together for Sarawakians but to go against policies or ideas implemented by GPS.
“According to PSB Youth chief Johnical Rayong Ngipa, an allocation of RM20 million will be granted to Sarawak Chinese schools and missionary schools if PSB wins the coming election. But now, he changed his mind by saying that was just a personal opinion. It has obviously shown that PSB is playing with Sarawakians’ trust,” Soo claimed.
She pointed out the GPS government has allocated far more than RM20 million to Chinese-medium and Mission schools in Sarawak.
“For the sake of their political agenda, the leaders of PSB have begun to continuously use political tactics to smear and slander the GPS government. Such actions are not only against Sarawakians’ will, but also will certainly divide Sarawakians and undermine the harmony and stability of Sarawak,” she claimed.