Soo asks why Sarawak PH silent on revenue sharing
Lina Soo
Soo also questions Lim’s ambiguity and political doublespeak in saying that the federal government requires more time, or Sarawak has to wait until next year and also to wait until the country’s financial position permits, before sharing revenue with Sarawak.
“What excuse is he using, to hoodwink Sarawakians to cover up their tracks to continue to plunder Sarawak’s resources, specifically oil and gas, and taxes contributed by Sarawak?” she said in a statement issued here.
Soo also named Pakatan MPs from Sarawak – Chong Chieng Jen, Baru Bian and Dr Kelvin Yii – for failing to live up to their promise of increased royalty to 20 per cent and the return of 50 per cent of Sarawak’s taxes to Sarawak.
“Are their pledges just empty words before general election? Why are they lost for words now?
“It is the duty of the federal government to ensure that Sarawak has money for development after collecting Sarawak’s oil revenue and taxes. Furthermore Pakatan had promised that there will be more money as there will be no more corruption. Why is it not happening?” she asserted.
Soo also alleged that the previous Barisan Nasional (BN) regime took oil-producing states’ wealth and taxes, and made sure that no state could survive without federal aid.
“And now the Pakatan regime is simply continuing the exploitation of Sarawak’s wealth and making Sarawak a beggar state. This is not by accident but by design,” she added.
Soo reminded the Pakatan government that there is no condition in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) that revenue sharing is subject to the economic and fiscal condition of Malaysia.
She said this was another unilateral or one-sided imposition of terms and conditions by the federal government which repudiates the MA63, and compounds the multiple breaches of the international treaty upon which the Federation of Malaysia exists.
“If the federal government refuses to return its revenue, then Soo questions what is the meaning of Sarawak remaining in the federation when it defeats its very purpose, in a situation where the federal government sabotages Sarawak’s economy and continues its flagrant breaches of the Malaysia Agreement.
“Sarawak is at the crossroads, and the Sarawak people must be wise to stand up to more bullying and exploitation, regardless of whichever regime is in power,” she said.
According to news reports, Lim had said in the Parliament on Wednesday that although a formula on revenue sharing with Sabah and Sarawak will be inked next year, this will only be implemented when government’s finances permit it.
Revenue sharing with Sabah, and Sarawak as well as higher oil royalties are among the promises made by the Pakatan Harapan government in its election manifesto.
Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri (GPS-Batang Sadong) then asked Lim to give a proper deadline on the implementation.
Telling her to be patient, Lim said before Pakatan came to power, there was no plan to share revenue with Sabah and Sarawak.
“This is wrong. I was involved in the committee discussions. Please retract the statement,” countered Nancy, the former minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.
My comments:
The Sarawak government headed by Abang Johari should take the stronger stand to stop the taxes collected in Sarawak to go into the federal coffer. The Sarawak government should cut short the grace period from the end of 2019 to the end of 2018 for Petronas to apply for the licences to do businesses in Sarawak. Abang Johari should be strong and has no fear when Sarawakians 95% are behind him.
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