Sarawak for Change – The Sibu Declaration


(Adopted by DAP Sarawak State Committee on 23rd May 2010 In Sibu, Sarawak)

The Sibu Miracle on 16th May 2010 is the beginning of the awakening of Sarawak. From now on, no one will take us – the people of Sarawak – for granted. One small step in winning Sibu is one big step to winning power in Petrajaya, and a giant step forward to winning power in Putrajaya.Sarawak is rich. It has the largest land mass in Malaysia and an abundance of resources such as timber, land, palm oil, gold, oil and gas.

But the people of Sarawak are among the poorest in Malaysia because of low pay, poor employment opportunities and a business environment which is monopolised by a selected few.

It is the only state in Malaysia where one family – that of the Chief Minister’s – practically has complete power over the state’s entire economic and political activities.

It’s time that we say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. Let’s chart a new future for Sarawak and Malaysia.

GOOD GOVERNANCE = NO MORE TAIB

Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib bin Mahmud will be in office for three decades by next year. It’s time that we take the mandate back from Taib and herald a new era of reform and rejuvenation for Sarawak.

DAP and Pakatan Rakyat stand for good governance. Taib Mahmud’s BN has a track record of bad governance. Taib’s family through Cahaya Mata Sarawak (CMS) and other crony companies control the most lucrative contracts and businesses, impoverishing the rakyat while making life difficult for small businesses.

EQUAL PARTNERSHIP – DAP and Pakatan Rakyat believe in equal partnership in political coalition and in federal-state relations. The sole purpose of the existence of Sarawak BN is to prop up Taib’s empire whereas Pakatan Rakyat practices equal political partnership for the betterment of the rakyat. Nationally, resource-rich Sarawak has been given a raw deal.

CAT GOVERNANCE – DAP believes in Competency, Accountability and Transparency (CAT) governance. We listen and engage with all citizens, not just those with the money. Less corruption means more for everyone. Sarawak is rich. By having open tender to all government procurements, timber extraction licenses and alienation of state lands for commercial and plantation purposes, all Sarawakians will be richer.

SENIOR CITIZENS’ BONUS – When DAP and Pakatan Rakyat become the Government of Sarawak, all Sarawakians above 60 years of age will receive a minimum of RM400 per annum in appreciation of their contribution to the state.

HARDCORE POVERTY – An annual RM 80 million allocation from the State budget will be set up to eradicate hardcore poverty in Sarawak.

EDUCATION – When DAP and Pakatan Rakyat become the government in Sarawak, all schools regardless of background will be given allocations according to needs as practised in Penang, Selangor and Kelantan so that our children can have a bright future.

OIL ROYALTY – Pakatan Rakyat National Common Policy Platform commits to provide Sarawak 20% in oil royalties from Petronas, instead of the current 5%, if Pakatan Rakyat wins federal power.

LAND REFORM – When DAP and Pakatan Rakyat become government in Sarawak, all NCR land will be surveyed and titles (communal and individual) issued while all expiring leases will be unconditionally renewed. With lands accessible to the people and not cronies, we believe that the great economic potential of Sarawak will be unleashed.

INVESTING IN THE FUTURE – The flood problems in Sarawak needs serious attention while long term investment in human capital and infrastructure is needed to make Sarawak a great economy. WIFI will be provided free to move Sarawak into a knowledge state.

BN will not and cannot change. For BN to change spells destruction for its leaders.

But without change spells certain doom for all Sarawakians. The choice is clear. Sarawak for Change.

  1. #1 by frankyapp on Sunday, 23 May 2010 - 6:32 pm

    Wow this’s pretty good.I hope the Sibu declaration would also apply to Sabah.

  2. #2 by jus legitimum on Sunday, 23 May 2010 - 6:53 pm

    We are like living during the early 20th century in China during the rule of the Ching Dynasty.The government officials were corrupt,incompetent,greedy and relentlessly squandered and plundered the wealth of the state.So it won’t be very far away when PR will take over the corrupt and rotten to the core BN.Let’s hope the new era will dawn us soon.

  3. #3 by monsterball on Sunday, 23 May 2010 - 7:38 pm

    Keeping Sarawak people relatively poor and depending on UMNO B generosity work for years in favour of the racist government.
    Sarawakians need to combine solidly to vote Najib out in 13th GE…and help change the government fir them to advance in life…in proper ways.
    UMNO B needs to bring people backwards…stay useless and with educational systems that do not sharpen the minds to be smart.
    Stay smart…the cat is out of the bag for Najib.
    “This is bot the place for a Prime Minister to visit”..so said Najib.
    That itself tells you the mentality and arrogance of these UMNO B leaders.
    And fortunately…Sibuans exposed and embarrassed him..excellently.
    So the wind of change have begun.
    Let it be completed by the 13th GE…so that Sarawakians ca experience their richness and much better life…with developments…to equal Kuala Lumpur…if not better.
    Kuching should be the Shanghai of Malaysia and Sibu…should be burst with lots of activities and jobs for all.
    Of course he meant he was the PM to visit Rajang Park.In actual fact…he did that out d desperation to win as much votes for Robert Lau as possible. You think he love Rajang Park folks so much?

  4. #4 by buy election on Sunday, 23 May 2010 - 8:14 pm

    If Wong Soon Koh keeps bullying the opposition in the State Assembly, he will not just be defeated, but will be knocked out miserably in the coming state election. He has not learned from the recent defeat of his party in Sibu.

    How can they simply bully our representatives who were elected by us? It is a direct bullying on the people. After being granted the job by his cousin, it is 20+ years. It is too long enough to corrupt a person like him. He has all that he wanted.

    Wong Soon Koh led the BN team for the recent Sibu b’U’y-election. He made the prime minister lost so badly especially after the prime minister has pledged additional 5 juta the night before the polling with the most well-known Rejang Park speech. Wong Soon Koh would have been sent to the guillotine for this defeat if it were the middle-age China or Europe. In modern world, he would have accepted the defeat and judgement of the people. He would have taken full responsibility by stepping down or retiring from politics like what Wong Soon Kai has done. Instead, the man showed no shame.

  5. #5 by ekompute on Sunday, 23 May 2010 - 8:23 pm

    “BN will not and cannot change. For BN to change spells destruction for its leaders.

    But without change spells certain doom for all Sarawakians. The choice is clear. ”

    Well said… choice is not only clear but message also very clear.

  6. #6 by monsterball on Sunday, 23 May 2010 - 8:50 pm

    hey.. “buy election” fella.
    Why are you protecting Najib?
    What if SUPP won?
    Than Wong decorated with Datukship. Is that it?
    Najib offered bribes and he should be investigated…and be jailed and perhaps Wong get 10 rotan strokes for suggeting it…..hahahahahahaha

  7. #7 by drngsc on Sunday, 23 May 2010 - 8:50 pm

    It is not too late. There is still much that Sarawak can do for all of us. Elections is around the corner. Please do not waste your vote.

  8. #8 by monsterball on Sunday, 23 May 2010 - 8:57 pm

    The present UMNO B guys are like that…because Mahathir made them like so…and disunite the people…to be a dictator.
    Our late Tunku Abdul Rahman call him a scumbag.
    Hussein Onn openly said he made the biggest mistake of his political life… appointing Mahathir as his DPM.
    Musa Hitam called him a Dictator and resigned as his DPM.
    Now you tell me…who is Najib to Mahathir.

  9. #9 by dagen on Sunday, 23 May 2010 - 9:10 pm

    Many thought that the chinese had swung to the opposition. Technically that is what had happened. In reality, only staunch party members of mca, gerakan and the other chinese based bn parties were the only real/true supporters of the umno controlled bn. (Without sounding too cumbersome i shall just refer to those parties as bn chinese parties.) The rest of the chinese in the country were and are not supporters of such parties although they for some time in the past voted them in elections.

    Who does not know that bn chinese parties are useless and incapable of protecting the chinese effectively? In the first decade immediately after merdeka, chinese were genuinely behind those parties. But after (my guess) the umno instigated may 13 incident, chinese basically began to lose hope in them. Look at the migration issue. It did not suddenly appear in the last few years. It was going on for a long long time already. I believe after may 13, chinese began to move elsewhere out of fear etc.

    Let me go back to the question. Why then did they vote those bn chinese parties for so many years? (I am talking about the older chinese.) Out of fear for undesirable repercussion and not in support of the ideals of those parties! For a long time chinese believed that their ballot papers were tagged and their votes could be traced. And that police would then come in the middle of the night to get them if they voted the opposition. For a long long time they were afraid of a repeat of may 13 if the opposition should do well in election. And they were also afraid of the many draconian measures and laws the umno gobermen could use to shut them up. They could not afford that because they have their businesses to look after and their young familes to take care. In short fear was the driving factor behind chinese support for those bn chinese parties. They are the first generation post merdeka malaysians.

    Almost all of those first generation people are rather comfortable now. Their children are working and no longer require their care and attention. A lot of them are in fact residing or working overseas. The fear factor is begining to wear off somewhat for them. They no longer are afraid of repercussion like the past. The opposition are very effective in challenging the umno gobermen and in looking after their rights. All in, they are now confident enough to show their support for the opposition – to snub jib despite jib’s carrot dangling tactic.

    So umno, dont hope for a swing back by the chinese. The old would not. The young definitely will also not.

  10. #10 by undertaker888 on Sunday, 23 May 2010 - 10:22 pm

    change is inevitable.
    resistance is futile.
    bn will be assimilated.

  11. #11 by boh-liao on Sunday, 23 May 2010 - 11:51 pm

    A top Maktab Rendah Sains Mara (MRSM) student Sugentha a/p A Subramaniam was denied entry into Malaysian public universities and matriculation colleges
    Sugentha and her mother questioned the Education Minister, if she needs anything else besides an excellent public examination result.(Malaysiakini.TV)
    MIC did not help ah?
    She asked what does she hv 2 do?
    Apply for an ASEAN Scholarship lah girl n go South if successful, say bye-bye 2 1M’sia

  12. #12 by pulau_sibu on Sunday, 23 May 2010 - 11:54 pm

    boh-liao, indeed a failure of boleh education system. each time, one needs to involve politicians. because of that the higher education are all controlled by the politicians.

  13. #13 by boh-liao on Monday, 24 May 2010 - 12:39 am

    The DAP has submitted an official complaint to the Election Commission (EC) over the controversy surrounding the tallying of postal votes during the Sibu by-election last Sunday. (Malaysiakini.TV)
    Lots of accusation there over how EC was unprofessional in carrying out their duties
    Nay, in fact, over d dishonest practice of EC, cheating d rakyat n PR’s candidate
    Pray tell us d outcome of d complaint, we want 2 know

  14. #14 by undertaker888 on Monday, 24 May 2010 - 12:55 am

    ya it makes you mad isn’t it everytime we hear a student was denied entry because of his/her racial background.

    the fcuk up government is systematically turning the non into beggars and prostitutes. they will not stop until their evil goals are achieved. but sadly there are bird brain indians and chinese still voting for them.

    there will be a day of reckoning.

  15. #15 by writecom on Monday, 24 May 2010 - 4:26 am

    When are we going to stop this menace and being their scapegoats for their wrong doings? They need POWER to protect their illegal wealth and how do we deny them.

    It’s a tall order to fight a 52 year old menace of trillions of taxpayer’s money. We have to start somewhere and do we have the people’s support, to have ANOTHER 2nd. wave and deny them in ruling Putrajaya.

    Not only that we need the Chinese to deny their money politics but we need to work extra hard with the communities like the Indian, Malays and Ibans.

    We have seen people like Ibrahim Ali who leads Perkasa selling his soul and values in the recent ‘football license’. Perkasa was supposed to lead the group of Malay NGOs to protect the rights of the Malays. He out sold the Malay community in tandem with TDM and indirectly build the UMNO coffers. Can we deny or terminate the licenses?

    With the Malays being used and out sold by their own community leaders, why can’t we work closely and build “The People’s Power”.

    Lots of ground works are needed before the State election or the coming general election. Our weak point mainly lays with the PKR internal affairs and its leaders. The marriage of DAP and PAS works well with the people with the exception of PKR.

    DAP should take the lead, to rectify the PKR issues with their leaders before it cracks further. We have gone so far in roads and can’t afford any hindrance in the pact.

  16. #16 by chengho on Monday, 24 May 2010 - 6:36 am

    coming june Kit should be the next COP not Anwar

  17. #17 by Comrade on Monday, 24 May 2010 - 7:05 am

    PR must be united and walk the talk
    As BN will again be out to harass PR/DAP
    PR must educate especially the rural folks
    To gain their support and loyalty

    Taking-over Putrajaya is the mission
    PR must strategically do its role
    May the wind of change blows to interior region
    For PR to be able to achieve its goal

  18. #18 by tsalak on Monday, 24 May 2010 - 8:28 pm

    INVESTING IN THE FUTURE – The flood problems in Sarawak needs serious attention while long term investment in human capital and infrastructure is needed to make Sarawak a great economy.

    There is a great river in Central Java, Bengawan Solo. Gesang sang it and we used to sing it. Maybe in the future we could sing it with warm feet and with a bigger smile!

  19. #19 by monsterball on Tuesday, 25 May 2010 - 4:01 am

    Combrad…That is at Solo.
    In previous days…along the river banks…lots of small hotels and restaurants…with boats like in Vienna…having singers to serenade to couples hiring the boats.
    After the racial incident….now all gone.
    That was Solo main tourist attraction.
    What a pity..all gone…as most Indon Chinese left and reside elsewhere.

  20. #20 by monsterball on Tuesday, 25 May 2010 - 4:03 am

    And I recalled the composer of that song….is still alive…very poor…but respected by all.
    He should be around 90 years old now.

  21. #21 by monsterball on Tuesday, 25 May 2010 - 4:12 am

    Coming June….Chengho should be the PM…not Najib.
    I mean he should be the Public Monkey…not Najib.
    Najib will stay as the best double headed snake…for Mahathir.

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