Misery for the people, luxury for BN leaders

Joseph Tawie February 7, 2012

Sarawak's wealthy BN leaders from Taib Mahmud's Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu and its coalition partners, have done nothing to improve the lives of the poor Dayaks.

KUCHING: Self-indulgent Barisan Nasional leaders in Sarawak have no business warning the Dayaks to steer away from DAP simply because it is a Peninsula-based party.

Mordi Bimol, a special assistant to DAP’s Kota Sentosa assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen, said although Chief Minister Taib Mahmud’s Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) party had ruled Sarawak, in collaboration with its other BN partners, for more than 40 years, “nothing has changed”.

“Although Sarawak has voted PBB and its partners for the past 40 years, nothing has changed. Why are so many people still poor? What have the BN done?

“Look at some of the outskirts of Kuching where you can find people still living in misery and poverty, while BN leaders not only live in luxury, but keep on enriching themselves.

“They live in big houses, use big cars and even their gates are worth more than RM100,000,” said Bimol, who is one of the Dayak potential candidates of DAP.

He is likely to contest the Mas Gading seat, where BN is under tremendous pressure due to strife within Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP).

Mordi was responding to Mambong MP and Deputy Tourism Minister James Dawos Mamit’s warning to the Bidayuhs in his constituency to avoid Peninsula-based DAP which was trying to influence Bidayuhs in his constituency of Mambong.

Dawos is a member of the PBB.

“For me and many others it is not important that DAP is a Peninsula-based party. What is most important is DAP’s struggle in fighting for all races be they Chinese, Malays or Dayaks,” Mordi said.

As the backbone of the BN state government, PBB has ruled Sarawak for more than 40 years.

“Why should we support this type of party (PBB), even though it is a local party, if its leaders are grabbing people’s native customary rights (NCR) land?” he asked.

“What has Dawos got to say to that?” he asked.

People’s money

Last Thursday, Dawos, who is apparently worried about DAP’s influence, urged his constituency to continue to stand solidly behind the BN.

DAP’s branch in the constituency has received good response from the Bidayuh community.

Dawit said DAP was trying to influence the people with its promises, but he believed the community was wise enough to know that DAP was a Peninsula-based political party.

“DAP must first prove itself able to deliver to the people and not to make promises only.

“Sarawakians, especially the Bidayuhs, must learn about the politics of the opposition,” Dawit said.

He pointed out that the BN government has not only brought physical development to the people, but has also introduced other forms of assistance such as the BR1M, RM200 book voucher for students in higher institutions of learning, and RM100 for secondary school students and pupils of primary schools.

In his rebuttal, Bimol said that with election around the corner, the BN has started to make many more promises.

“The BN made many promises during the last election, and many of these promises still remain unfulfilled until this day. What has happened?

“You think about it,” he told a Chinese New Year gathering.

“Now BN is buying votes using the BRIM money,” he said, adding that the money came from the people’s taxes.

“They have every right to be given the money, but please vote for Pakatan Rakyat and give it a chance to govern this country,” he said.

“Let us see what we from Pakatan can do,” he added.

More join DAP

Meanwhile, SPDP president William Mawan did not believe DAP would go far in the Dayak constituencies in the coming general election, even if they put Dayak candidates.

“They are only using the Dayaks to penetrate into the rural areas. And I don’t think DAP will go far as this is only a multi-racial dressing.

“I hope the people will realise their motive – it is just trying to use Dayak candidates to go into Dayak areas,” Mawan added.

Mawan was responding to Chong’s statement that the party would contest in 12 seats; half of the candidates might come from the Dayak community.

In the meantime some 60 SPDP members in Bau have joined DAP.