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KUCHING (Aug 28): Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) has urged Sarawakians to wake up to the reality of being governed by Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).
It said in a statement that it was important for Sarawakians to be aware of all information about the record of GPS, previously Barisan Nasional Sarawak, for at least two reasons.
“Firstly, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg has gone to great lengths to tell Sarawakians that GPS has done a superb job in recovering and defending Sarawak’s rights but we have not seen the fruits from the efforts.
“Secondly, many Sarawak lawmakers (the ADUNs) are very fond of telling Sarawakians to ignore all the political ongoings in Putrajaya as it is all just Malayan politics and has nothing to do with us.
“However, the laws made in parliament and the decisions taken by federal cabinet have profound effects on our lives in Sarawak (and in Sabah). Remember the cabinet decision to ban non-muslims from using the word Allah,” the PSB secretariat said in the statement.
PSB also said since GPS claimed that only they can look after the welfare of Sarawakians then the many hardships experienced by Sarawakians today, particularly those in the rural areas were the direct result of the failures of GPS.
“Sarawakians, this is the time to wake up to the reality of being governed by GPS,” it said.
The party pointed out that what seems to be the ‘biggest’ victory of GPS came in the form of the State Sales Tax (SST) payable by Petronas on oil and gas products derived from Sarawak.
This, it said, is the result of a commercial settlement agreement (CSA) that the government governed by GPS reached with Petronas on Dec 7, 2020.
The Sarawak government, it added, had earlier initiated a court action against Petronas, primarily to declare the Petroleum Development Act 1974 (PDA74) as null and void.
“By agreeing to accept the terms of the CSA however, the GPS inadvertently agreed that the PDA74 is a valid legislation.
“The rate of the SST, starting at five percent, will be reduced in phases,” it said.
“So where exactly has the GPS been successful in recovering Sarawak’s lost rights? Nowhere,” it said.
PSB said the RM848 million Batang Lupar bridge project and the RM5.2 billion Sarawak Sabah Link Road (SSLR), which were supposed to be financed by the federal government were now financed by the Sarawak government, adding that this in fact was an indirect bailout of the federal government.