Joint Statement

by Violet Yong Wui Wui, Voon Lee Shan and Chong Chieng Jen

The Rakyat of Kuching must bear in mind that this is the first Sarawak State Election after the Prime Minister secured an unprecedented 92 percent majority in the Dewan Rakyat during the last General Election, and this is also the first State Election after the PM officially announced the 30 sen oil price hike in March 2006. Therefore, this is not only a simple state election.

Although it is considered by many that this is a direct fight between DAP and SUPP, actually it is an election that concern the benefits of the people of Sarawak. If the people of Kuching cast the wrong votes to the wrong side and send the wrong message to the ruling party, then BN will have every reason to claim that their announcement to increase oil price are coming from the mandate given by the people, which may cause oil prices in 2007 to be increased at a rate much higher than this year.

When oil prices are increased by 30 sen a litre, the adverse end results are immediately felt by the people of Sarawak who have to fork out more ringgit for oil although Sarawak contributes one third of our nation’s oil production.

BN has always been explaining that the oil price hike is inevitable due to increasing international crude oil prices, but BN has simultaneously failed miserably to explain the whereabouts of Petronas’ RM 35.5 billion profits in 2004.

Moreover, BN has also failed to curb diesel smuggling to neighboring countries. There are also no serious actions against those who misuse the RM1/litre diesel subsidy for fishermen. All these have caused cumulative losses of RM 1.6 billion for our country.

Misusing diesel subsidy and smuggling of diesel do not happen overnight, it is a cumulative phenomena. BN cannot give blind talks because if BN can provide better enforcement, such happenings can be avoided. As such, lower oil price in domestic market can never be made an excuse to increase oil price. Such excuse is merely no more that synthetic excuse.

BN government is also misleading the people by saying that our petrol is amongst the cheapest in this region. Everyone with a sane mind will say that all comparison must be made on an apple-to-apple basis, in which the government should compare Malaysia with other oil-exporting countries and if we compare so, there is no doubt that our oil prices are actually the highest amongst other oil-exporting nations.

Under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, it is also made known that Sarawak is only allocated 6 percents of the total allocation for road transport development. Being the biggest state in Malaysia, it is totally mind-boggling that Sarawak is given only 6 percents of the budget for road transport development.

There is only one Rocket ADUN in the State Legislative Assembly Hall, who is also the only Opposition ADUN. One single Rocket cannot provide proper checks-and-balances on the State Government. What is badly required is a strong representation of DAP ADUNs in the State Legislative Assembly Hall to keep an eye on the running of the State Government.

In lieu of this, the people of Kuching cannot send the wrong signal to BN, otherwise BN will treat this as a credit that the people have given BN the mandate for any policies and decisions they made in future, especially any possible future oil price hikes.

Therefore, the people of Kuching shall without any doubt send a strong and clear message to “Tolak Barang Naik, Tolak BN”

(10/05/2006)