The PKR National Vice President cum Secretary-General Rafizi may not agree to my proposal on the 70% local Sarawakians target in Petronas’ management and middle management level for its operation in Sarawak, but does he represent the stand of PKR National or PKR Sarawak on this matter?
My proposal of 70% target has nothing to do about regionalism politics, nor has it anything to do about discrimination against non-Sarawakians. It is about giving local Sarawakians the more job opportunities in our own land and fairer enjoyment of the natural resources of Sarawak.
If Rafizi does not understand the meaning of this 70% target, I hope his other colleagues in PKR will.
The Barisan Nasional government has, all these years, been exploiting Sarawak, with the consent and co-operation of the Sarawak Barisan Nasional. Though there are some dissenting voices against such discrimination within the Sarawak Barisan Nasional, the Sarawak BN as a whole still bow to the policies of National BN in its discriminatory policies against Sarawak.
One example is the BN’s policy of a meagre 5% Oil and Gas Royalties for Sarawak, another is the grossly under-representation of Sarawakians in Petronas’ management and middle management staff for its operation in Sarawak.
I cannot over-emphasise that these discriminatory policies are implemented with the consent of Sarawak BN. The setting of the 70% target is to right the wrong.
As for DAP, we will continue to push for fairer deals for Sarawak, and the 70% target is one of such deals. In the short meeting with our Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng last night during his visit to Kuching, he has also endorsed this 70% target.
Given that Rafizi is PKR’s national vice president and also secretary-general and that he has spoken against such target, it is thus incumbent upon both PKR National and Sarawak to state its party’s policy on this issue.
On the other hand, DAP Sarawak will continue to urge the Barisan Nasional to adopt this 70% policy, for the good of all Sarawakian, and the temporary withholding of the work permits of these non-Sarawakian working in Petronas’ Sarawak operation is but a means to an end, the means to achieve this target. Such means is within the power of the State Government.
Therefore, it is only a matter whether the State Government gives priority to fighting for better deals for Sarawakian in general, or to their absolute loyalty and obedience to Najib and UMNO.