KUCHING, May 14 — Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah today assured that the state Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government has no problem with Pakatan Harapan (PH) federal ministers visiting the state.
He said the state government will provide the necessary logistic support if the PH federal ministers are on official visits or site inspections of federal-funded projects.
He said the arrangement can be made provided that their schedules and requests are sent in advance to the state protocol and event management unit of the chief minister’s office.
“Our cooperation, however, is only for official functions and not political programmes,” he told reporters after a meeting with Deputy Minister of Communications and Multimedia Eddin Syazlee Shith here.
Uggah said the state government has always maintained its friendly relationship with federal government in mutually beneficial policies, plans and programmes, though both are under different political coalitions.
He said he and federal Works Baru Bian are the joint chairmen of the state and federal government action committee to monitor the successful implementation of all federal projects in the state.
At the meeting, Uggah also told Eddin that Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) Sarawak needed to do more by providing more coverage and disseminate information on the ongoing fight against the rabies outbreak in the state.
He expressed his disappointment over the little coverage that the RTM had provided to the state anti- rabies operation since last year.
“The anti-rabies operation is not a state political programme of GPS,” Uggah, who is also the state disaster and relief committee chairman, stressed.
He said federal agencies like the national disaster management committee (NADMA), ministry of health, department of veterinary services, police, military, fire and rescue department and the civil defence force are working closely with the state government.
He expressed his regret that RTM did not send its officials to attend meetings of the state disaster management committee.
“This is sad as we need to communicate our strategies of dealing with the outbreak to the people, especially in the rural areas,” he said, adding that he wants any miscommunication or misunderstanding with RTM can be resolved.
State Corporate Affairs and Communications Assistant Minister Abdullah Saidol, who was present, urged the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and the police to take stern and immediate action against those posting incendiary religious or racial issues in the social media.
“Serious immediate action must be taken against the perpetrators who can create disunity, instability and suspicion in our plural society,” he said, adding that they are as dangerous as those suicide bombers or those going on killing sprees.
He said immediate action should be taken against any report lodged with MCMC and police, and not be considered as mere political play acting.
