KUALA LUMPUR, June 1 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) will adhere to the proper
spirit of federalism and ensure that Sarawak is accorded as much rights
and privileges as other states should the opposition come to power in
the future, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.
The PR de facto leader said today his coalition does not view the
state as a “fixed deposit” for any party, and that Sarawak is more
important than just winning votes.
“Sarawak for us is an equal partner in the Federation of Malaysia. In
our vision of the future, Sarawakians will shape their state while
aiding the wider federation to become more unified and strong.
“This is the true spirit of federalism Malaysia espoused when it was formed in 1963,” Anwar (picture) said in a special Gawai address today.
He stressed that the rights of all Sarawakians must be made a
priority by the government of the day, and that the state must cease to
play “second fiddle” in Malaysian politics especially when it came to
issues affecting them.
He said it was regrettable that many Sarawakians still lacked basic
access to education, basic amenities, healthcare and employment
opportunities despite Sarawak being Malaysia’s largest state and a
crucial contributor to the country’s oil and gas revenue.
“It is regrettable that the majority in resource-rich Sarawak do not
enjoy the benefits of being in a blessed state. That must change, that
has to change.
“I believe that the winds of change have begun to drift onto the
shores of Sarawak,” Anwar said, referring to the results of last year’s
Sarawak state election.
He said the state election results were proof that many Sarawakians
are “waking up” to the various abuses of the present state government.
Although Barisan Nasional (BN) managed to keep its two-thirds
legislative majority but last year’s state election results have
shattered the coalition’s invincibility and the notion of a fixed
deposit in future elections.
BN won 55 of the 71 state seats, much fewer than the 62 seats the
coalition won in the previous 2006 Sarawak state election. This time
around, the DAP won 12 state seats while PKR won three.
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