KUCHING, July 3 — Sarawakians across the board are dissatisfied with the state’s representation in the Pakatan Harapan (PH) federal government, a civil society movement said today.
Dayak National Congress (DNC) president Paul Raja said the state should have three full ministers, instead of being allotted a full minister and a deputy minister.
He said Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen should join Sarawak PKR chairman Baru Bian as full minister, instead of being made a deputy minister.
“We must remember that out of 113 PH members of Parliament, 12 of them are from Sarawak, which means that the state contributes about 10.6 per cent of the total,” he said when responding to the appointments of federal Cabinet members and deputy ministers.
Among those who took their oath of office yesterday were Baru as works minister and Chong as deputy minister of domestic trade and consumers affairs.
In the 14th general election, Sarawak DAP won six seats, PKR four and two seats won by pro-PKR Independents.
The two Independents later jumped to PKR.
Paul said the 12 seats were won “from a point of disadvantage against the might of BN-Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB) which have the entire machinery of the government and resources at their disposal.”
He added the importance of Sarawak PH to the strength of the PH federal government cannot be overstated.
However, Sarawak Dayak Graduates Association (SDGA) president Dr Dusit Jaul said Sarawakians should give PH federal government time before it can fulfil its promises made to them during the campaign for the 14th general election.
He said he is sure that the coalition has its own priorities since it has just been in power.
“We never know what are the PH’s plans for Sarawak so let time be the judge,” he added.
He said the appointments of a full minister and a deputy minister from Sarawak commensurate with the strength of support given to PH.
“During the last general election, a great majority of Sarawakians were still solidly behind the Barisan Nasional,” he said.
