The appointment of a Minister in the State Cabinet is the prerogative of the Chief Minister, Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud and the Central Committee of SUPP or any other organizations representing the Chinese community has no say about it.
That was how the appointment of Dato Seri Wong Soon Koh, the re-elected State Assemblyman for Bawang Assan was made. To this, the Central Committee of SUPP has no say about it.
Remember, Pehin Sri Abdul Taib has been given a fresh mandate, with more than a two-thirds majority in the just concluded Sarawak’s 10th State elections, to lead the State Government with negligible support from the Chinese community; thanks to very vicious campaign against him by DAP.
Whether Wong Soon Koh represents SUPP or the Chinese community is immaterial. However, he should endeavor to give appropriate feedback to the Government on issues affecting the community. Obviously, as SUPP, has been rejected by the Chinese, Wong will have to embark on the arduous task to rebuild a bridge between the Chinese community and the government.
In this respect, SUPP must learn to apportion the blame on itself and not to be too quick in pointing fingers to others for its defeats, which were not entirely due to the strength of DAP. After all, why should it be only SUPP that lost the seats and not PBB when BN was facing the same opposition? It was a fact that SUPP was still plagued by internal bickering right into the elections.
Nobody expect SUPP, which has been badly discredited, to make demand for the party’s representation in the Government in the State Cabinet or even at the levels of local authorities. On paper, SUPP has been wiped out in Chinese areas. Wong Soon Koh managed to cling on his seat of Bawang Assan with support of Bumiputra voters. It is doubtful that Lee Kim Shin, with the vote’s difference of 58 can feel comfortable with his victory especially with his opponent’s expressed intention to bring the matter, suspected case of vote rigging, to court.
In the past SUPP, in the name of the Chinese community, used to make demand or covert threats that the appointment of chairmen of Municipalities of Kuching City South, Padawan, Sibu Urban and Miri city should be reserved for the party. As SUPP cannot claim to represent the Chinese community now, such appointments should be reviewed. SUPP, with the inclination to stay away from the government for obvious reasons that it has completely been discredited, should decide to withdraw its nominees not only as chairmen and secretaries but all councilors of the municipal councils.
Remember, the Chinese community has overwhelmingly rejected the option to be part of the government in spite of repeated reminder that it would be to their disadvantages to stay outside it. However, their decision must be respected and people, who claimed to represent the community in the government, even at the level of local councils, must be removed. After all there are lots of qualified Bumiputras who can take over from them.
Basically, the Chinese community, like other communities cannot expect to reject the government in the elections and still expect to enjoy the privileges from it. Politics is about decisions and choices. This must be made be fully understood by all.
Chief Minister, Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud, in his speech to launch Sejiwa Senada program for Kuching City South on March 26 spoke of the possibility that residents in Kuching might have to pay for extra rates for services to be carried out by the local council. Undoubtedly, if they are to be imposed the opposition will be quick to accuse the government of punishing urban voters for voting against it.
Pehin Sri Abdul Taib said residents of Kuching must appreciate that they cannot expect to have the situation since the 70s where no extra rates have ever been charged for extra services that have been given to them by the government through municipal councils.
Their conscientiousness must be aroused with a bit of education to make them appreciate that for every service that they expect to come up with certain higher level of style of living in the cities, they have to pay something. This is fair enough as users must pay whether it is for pollution control, waste disposal and transportation or any other services being provided.
By the year 2013 the government will put in place some forms of organization on the ground to assist local government machinery to serve the people with better efficiency in coping with the problems of increasing population, services and maintenance at all levels.
Hopefully, the people and the government can co-operate in all three levels of government viz –a-viz Federal, State and local governments in getting the best from the money being raised from them in the form of taxation for public services.
Understandably, the local government like city councils for Kuching City North and Kuching city South, eventually Padawan and Samarahan, Bintulu, Miri and Sibu are the more complicated ones to run. Each of them have to pay special attention for development because of greater requirements for services and development of lots of amenities that have to be undertaken at the ground levels.
Understandably, a three-tier system of government is not easy to carry out but it remains the most practical way of solving a problem and yet maintains democracy. The arrangement must be fully understood by the people.
Out of the blue, Senator Gan Ping Sieu of MCA should consider it appropriate to talk about the resignation of the Chief Minister, Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud for BN’s failure in Chinese majority constituencies. The statement, as correctly stated by Ahmad Zuraimi Sakawi of PBB Tupong, is mischievous and uncalled for. Gan, what ever his position in MCA, is a political novice and has no credibility and standing to talk about a complex political issue in Sarawak like a transition plan of Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib.
Sarawak is not Peninsula Malaysia Sarawak does not only have Chinese and Malays but 27 other ethnic groups.
Firstly MCA, like SUPP was rejected by the Chinese community in 2008 General elections. It was followed by leadership tussles with lots dirty linens being washed in the public. Two of its former leaders are now facing court cases. Basically, MCA cannot claim to be a credible partner in Barisan Nasional.
DAP has been able to come strongly in Sarawak because MCA has failed miserably to contain the party in Semenanjung Malaysia Sarawak is fully knowledgeable of the fact that MCA contested nine State seats and Gerakan, eight, in Pulau Pinang in 2008 General elections. And MCA fought harder with Gerakan than DAP in the elections. Hence, both Gerakan and MCA lost all their seats to DAP in the elections.
On the personal level, Gan is not an elected representative of the people. Even as Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, he is still unnoticeable. In Sarawak , he is Gan Who? Hence he has no standing and credibility to talk about the leadership change in Sarawak . He should look after himself first and MCA and hand off Sarawak as the people can take care of themselves.
benuasains
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