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Dato Sim Kiang Chiok
KUCHING (March 7): Not making any move to recognise the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) is one of the ‘dislikes’ for the unity government in its first 100 days of administration, said Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Stakan branch chairman Dato Sim Kiang Chiok.
“We are baffled by the fact that Sarawak could do it but the federal government can’t or won’t do it,” he said in a statement.
The statement was a response to a news portal report quoting Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek as saying that her ministry did not plan to recognise UEC, and the stand was based on the National Education Policy and the Education Act 1996.
At present, the Sarawak government recognises the UEC but with the condition of a credit in Bahasa Malaysia.
Sim said that Democratic Action Party (DAP) as a lynchpin partner in the unity government must demand for recognition of UEC since it is a pledge made by the party in their 15th General Election (GE15) manifesto.
“Yet it is not happening and this tells us that DAP cannot be relied on for the Chinese aspirations because it is evident that they just can’t do it.
“Evidenced again by their first tenure although brief 22 months of PH government after GE14, when they did nothing for the recognition of UEC, instead they cut off funding for TAR University, the very institution that helped thousands of Chinese children access affordable higher education,” he pointed out.
Sim said the second dislike for the unity government is the abysmal allocation made for Sarawak in Budget 2023 which was much lesser than what Sarawakians were hoping for.
He said Sarawak has been able to push on due to the wise financial management by the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government, but the state cannot afford to let this situation continue because fair allocation is Sarawakians’ right and should be given regardless.
“Thirdly, we have to criticise the fact that MP allocation for their constituencies have been slashed which means that MPs in Sarawak will have to look to GPS to help top up or look to their ADUNs (assemblypersons) to assist with the reduction.
“In our opinion, allocations for Sarawak MPs should not only have been maintained but even increased because of the bare fact that in Sarawak we have much, much bigger constituencies be it the size of land to cover as well as density in city constituencies,” he said.
All in all, he said SUPP Stakan branch is not very pleased with the performance thus far but hopes that things will improve soon because the government will benefit from the stability that has been achieved of late.
“And hopefully from it, we will see the needed institutional reforms in cutting down the wastage and leakages, increased prosperity for all Malaysians and reach a better deal for Sarawak.
“As for now we can only wait and see,” he added.
Despite such criticisms of the unity government in the appraisal of its first 100 days, Sim said SUPP Stakan branch was happy to note that there are a few matters concerning Sarawak that are very encouraging which indicate the return to the spirit and letter of the Malaysia Agreement (MA63) is coming closer.
He conveyed the party branch’s sincerest gratitude to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for the historic appointment of GPS whip as the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, saying it is a testament to the good governance and capabilities of Sarawakians contrary to all the false pretences PH has always levelled against GPS.
“It is also evidence that Malayan parties have no place in Sarawak and are better off leaving Sarawak politics to Sarawakian parties and since there are already Sarawakian parties in the opposition like PSB, Aspirasi, PBDSB and Parti Bumi Kenyalang the argument of a need for check and balance is also negated.
“Secondly, we see the seriousness of the unity government to expedite and hasten the return of our lost rights as per the MA63 as another boon to Sarawak and again proves that GPS is the right party to rely upon when it comes to safeguarding Sarawak rights,” he said.
He believed the federal government would not have done anything without GPS reminding them and fighting for the state’s cause.
“In the past when GPS was not in the PH government all that happened were attacks on Sarawak’s resources and every effort made to change the nature of our system and culture,” he said.
Sim also described the move by Anwar to allow for projects below RM50 million to be decided by state governments without need for federal referrals as one that is wise, as it hastens development and also allows for faster action to be taken locally without the need to seek federal approvals.
“These three moves involve and benefit Sarawak, however to sum up we feel that only three matters have been done and more could have been done in the same period,” he added.
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