THOSE are the three words that came to mind in the past few weeks when DAP Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen accused the Sarawak government of ceding state rights, with little to no effect.
Everyone knows by now that the Sarawak government under Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) has been working diligently to protect and fight to restore these rights.
The trials and tribulations have been for all to learn, given the harrowing fight for Sarawak rights, be it in the court of law or the court of public opinion.
Would I need to remind him and the Sarawak DAP that it was GPS — despite being an opposition to Putrajaya — that secured Sarawak’s rights to the imposition of state sales tax?
It was also this government that facilitated the return of federal assets to Sarawak, such as the Bakun dam and Bintulu Port, as well as acquiring strategic assets like its airline and bank.
It was this government that pushed for a greater revenue-sharing method under the allocation of special grants in line with Article 112D.
It was also this government that initiated the Bill to amend the Constitution in line with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), which became law.
This government is also pushing for greater representation in Parliament, whereby amendments to the Federal Constitution must obtain approval from the East Malaysian states.
These are just a few achievements I can think of; there are many others, too many to list. But the point I am making is:
Where does the Sarawak DAP fit into this? What contributions has it made?
In the fight to assert Sarawak’s rights in gas distribution and the appointment of PETROS as a gas aggregator, what exactly was its role?
Sarawak, in recent months, has been the subject of political attacks by hidden hands, ridiculing our demands and position regarding oil and gas revenues. Did the Sarawak DAP do anything? None.
Did it at least defend Sarawak in the press and their political statements? I am finding it very difficult to remember.
I mean if you are not participating in safeguarding Sarawak rights, let alone actively fighting for it, does it give you any locus standi to criticise others who are doing so? I don’t think so.
The analogy here is like being a cook at a kopitiam. If you are not helping to prepare the kolo mee, what gives you the right to complain about the method used in its preparation? If I were the towkay, I would scold you.
If the kolo mee is not up to standard, let the patrons judge it — after it has been prepared and served, not before or during, but after!
This story is not about kolo mee; it is bigger than that. To some extent, the dilemma of gas distribution presents an existential threat to Sarawak DAP and its leader.
While there are no permanent enemies or friends in politics, considering their track record of personally attacking Sarawak government leaders, they have burned their bridges.
Officially, there is no requirement for Sarawak DAP leaders, through two ADUNs, to be part of the government as the Sarawak administration is stable.
However, observing collaborations in other states, it is evident that even in the opposition, there is a significant role for them to play as partners in the federal government.
Maybe, just maybe, they were expecting an olive branch from Sarawak government leaders, but ultimately were let down and felt unwanted.
If these ADUNs — Padungan and Pending — had been slightly more reasonable in their politics, who knows what could have transpired?
Furthermore, following the transition of leadership at DAP HQ, where Anthony Loke now serves as the secretary-general, a noticeable disconnect has emerged between the national and Sarawak branches of DAP. This issue has been widely acknowledged for quite some time.
Possibly because there are different camps within the party, and loyalties lie with various leaders. Maybe one camp is clinging tightly to the past dynasty while the other is looking to the future.
Loke, during his time in Sarawak, was gracious enough to appear as a statesman and played down his party’s political tone when in the presence of GPS leaders.
He has since assured that a win-win solution is on the cards for the gas distribution issue and that it was not the position of DAP to say that Sarawak had given up its rights.
But then again, it appears that the message and the bigger narrative were lost on the state DAP chairman, intentionally or unintentionally. His party boss told him to do one thing, but he insisted on doing the opposite.
One might ask: Why is this so? Why has the Sarawak chapter gone rogue? Is the entire chapter rogue? Or are there still a few leaders thinking differently, but might not be able to speak up?
Regardless of whether it is related, the DAP will have its party elections next month. It is beginning to appear that the war will be between two camps — the newly formed faction between Loke and Nga Kor Ming with Lim Guan Eng in the other camp.
Lim served as the DAP secretary-general before Loke. Throughout his leadership, Sarawak emerged as a key focus of his political endeavours, often characterised by misleading information about the government and its officials.
If one recalls hard enough, during his time as Finance Minister, he accused Sarawak of financial mismanagement, predicting it would be bankrupt within three years. That was in 2019.
The Sarawak DAP, still under the same leadership today, stood with Lim and even doubled down on his flawed predictions and allegations, somehow in a bid to show loyalty. But where is this loyalty today, to the current leadership?
Loke apologised to Sarawakians for Lim’s remarks years later. In contrast, the DAP of the past focused on burning bridges, whereas the current DAP dedicates itself to constructing new ones.
It would not be surprising to see that the Sarawak DAP chairman is in Lim’s corner once again, and with this being his only chance to recapture past glory, together with his associates, his ‘lawan towkay’ antics are a political gambit to keep up appearances.
Whether it will pay off remains to be seen. But the point I am making is that this attack on the Sarawak government rings hollow. I know it, he knows it, and everyone knows it.
It is something only a desperate man would do, and probably “desperate” is the word to describe his predicament.
The views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the Sarawak Tribune.
