Ba Kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian was flabbergasted by Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian’s rant towards opposition elected representatives about the denial of government funds to them and his distasteful gloating about his ‘big salary’.
Baru, who is state Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) chairman said it was disappointing that a person of his (Dr Sim’s) standing should take delight in sounding like a schoolyard bully.
“Denying the opposition representatives allocations for their constituencies is akin to punishing the people who voted for them. The money we are talking about is public money, and not Barisan Nasional’s (BN) money. What right do Dr Sim and BN have to deprive opposition voters of the benefit of public funds?
“People living in opposition constituencies contribute to public funds in the form of taxes, both direct and indirect, and they have equal rights to enjoy the benefit of their tax contributions.
“Besides, Dr Sim may not realise this, but his very stand is, in fact, also depriving those that voted for BN in opposition-held constituencies, as not all voted for the opposition anyway,” he said in a press statement yesterday.
Baru was commenting on Dr Sim’s call on opposition leaders to join the state BN if the opposition wanted government grants. Dr Sim also said opposition leaders should join BN Sarawak if they longed for the ‘big salary’ he is getting now.
Baru said just because it has never been the practice for the state government to allocate funds for opposition representatives does not make it acceptable.
“Dr Sim should not forget that he has sworn to uphold and protect the Federal Constitution and the Constitution of Sarawak. His wider duty is to Sarawak and the people as a whole, and then to his constituency.
“This denial of allocations offends Article 8 of the Federal Constitution, which provides for equality for all. Unfortunately for Sarawakians, the BN government has decided that some Sarawakians are more equal than others. This is discriminatory, immoral and unconscionable, and I would not be so quick to boast about it.”
Baru questioned how Dr Sim would explain this discriminatory practice of deprivation and oppression of its own citizens to the world since BN tries to portray itself as a progressive and modern government, ready to stand together with other developed democracies on the world stage.
“I would venture so far as to say that this practice of the Sarawak BN government offends the non-discrimination article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, of which Malaysia is a signatory.”
In last month’s State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting, Baru said he spoke about this issue, urging the government to stop this practice and to start operating in a more democratic and fairer manner.
“I (Baru) said: ‘The creation of a new ministerial position, Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office (Integrity and Ombudsman) must mean that the government wishes to project itself as one that values integrity. One of the key features of a government of integrity is that all citizens are treated equally, and none discriminated against for their political leanings. Therefore, the allocations must also be made available to representatives from the opposition, who have the same duties to their constituents as the BN representatives have to theirs. Otherwise, the discriminatory actions of the government will just make a mockery of the office of the Minister of Integrity and Ombudsman’.”
Baru said he concluded with a rhetorical question “whether in such circumstances all who voted for the opposition parties should now stop paying taxes to the government?”
Source : The Borneo Post Online
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