DAP S’wak fires back at PBK chief over federal emblems at service centres: ‘Where exactly is your service centre?’

George Lam

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, Jan 14: The Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak has dismissed criticism from Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) president Voon Lee Shan over the use of federal government emblems at parliamentary service centres, instead turning the spotlight on what it said was a more fundamental issue of public service.

“To this day, many members of the public are unaware of where PBK service centre is located, if it exists at all, and there has been little evidence of consistent service, advocacy, or meaningful engagement with the people by his party.”

The response was issued by George Lam, special assistant to Bandar Kuching Member of Parliament Dr Kelvin Yii, who said Voon’s remarks reflected a misunderstanding of the role and function of a parliamentary service centre in a parliamentary democracy.

“First and foremost, YB Kelvin Yii is both a leader of a political party and a representative of the federal government who renders services through federal policies and initiatives,” he said in a statement.

Lam said the Bandar Kuching Parliamentary Service Centre has long been in operation and is located in the same building as the DAP Sarawak headquarters, adding that its existence and location are well known to the people of Kuching.

“A parliamentary service centre is not an ordinary party office. It is a platform through which elected representatives carry out their duties — assisting constituents in dealing with government agencies, addressing public service matters, and conveying the voices of the people,” he said.

He added that portraying such centres as merely a “party apparatus” was a political narrative that did not reflect how parliamentary democracy actually functions.

Addressing Voon’s repeated references to the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act 1963, Lam said the law was being selectively interpreted.

“The original intent of this Act is to prevent national emblems and official symbols from being misused for commercial gain, fraud, or public deception — not to suppress legitimate, non-commercial public service platforms operated by elected representatives,” he said.

On transparency, Lam highlighted that DAP Sarawak MPs have consistently declared the use of federal allocations in their constituencies on an annual basis since being elected as government representatives.

“This is done in the spirit of transparency and accountability, an initiative not practised by many other MPs and ADUNs, including some here in Sarawak who receive much larger allocations, particularly from the State government,” he said.

He suggested that instead of questioning the emblem displayed on DAP’s service centre signboard, PBK should support broader calls for all MPs and ADUNs to declare how constituency development funds are spent.

Lam stressed that politics should not be reduced to petty rhetoric, but judged by visible service and sustained engagement with the people.

“The existence and effectiveness of a service centre are things the people can see and feel for themselves. DAP Sarawak welcomes rational scrutiny and does not shy away from accountability,” he said, adding that electoral losses have not weakened the party’s resolve to continue serving the people. — DayakDaily