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By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, June 27: Democratic Action Party Socialist Youth (DAPSY) Sarawak’s arrogance and political bias in downplaying the Sarawak government’s RM1.8 billion acquisition of Bintulu Port, an amount equivalent to three times the value of Penang’s reserves, has been described as the real issue in the ongoing political dispute.
Political secretary to the Premier of Sarawak Afiq Fikri Ibrahim said the controversy was not about recognising the federal government’s role in the deal, but rather what he described as DAPSY Sarawak’s repeated attempts to distort facts and diminish the Sarawak government’s achievement, allegedly to glorify certain political figures from Peninsular Malaysia.
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He also criticised DAPSY Sarawak for failing to issue an apology over an edited image that allegedly obscured Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, despite mounting public criticism.
“Although the visual has since been corrected, we have yet to receive any apology from them. Instead, they continue to insist that the editing was unintentional,” he said in a statement today.
He was responding to a statement by DAPSY Sarawak, which had urged the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Youth Wing to also acknowledge the federal government’s role in the takeover of Bintulu Port by the Sarawak government.
Afiq said DAPSY Sarawak’s reaction reflected a broader pattern of political bias and a refusal to acknowledge the role of the Sarawak government in securing the strategic asset.
He also rejected attempts to downplay the RM1.8 billion compensation paid for the acquisition of Bintulu Port, stressing that the figure underscored Sarawak’s strong financial standing rather than representing a liability.
“RM1.8 billion is a substantial amount. In fact, it is three times the value of Penang’s reserves, which stand at around RM600 million.
“If DAP (Democratic Action Party, which governs Penang) wished to ‘purchase’ Bintulu Port, it might have to deplete its state reserves three times over, or pay through three instalments under a Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) scheme,” he said in a pointed rebuttal.
He stressed that the transaction was a clear reflection of Sarawak’s fiscal strength, which he attributed to the Premier’s leadership and economic policies.
“This remarkable achievement was even acknowledged by the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) himself during his speech in Sarawak, where he remarked that he had never encountered a situation in which a state government handed over a compensation cheque to the Federal Government,” he added.
Afiq said most Sarawakians understood the significance of the Bintulu Port acquisition and rejected attempts to politicise or distort the narrative.
“On the contrary, it is they who are attempting to twist the facts to the point that they themselves have become entangled in their own distortions,” he said.
While welcoming DAPSY Sarawak’s acknowledgement of the Sarawak government’s efforts under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), Afiq urged consistency in recognising achievements across the board, not only when it involved leaders from DAP and Pakatan Harapan (PH).
“Acknowledge also the achievements secured under previous federal administrations. Do not merely applaud these developments now, when DAP and DAPSY have frequently questioned and belittled efforts to advance the State’s rights and interests for Sarawak’s development,” he said.
He emphasised that the struggle for Sarawak’s rights had always been championed by the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government, regardless of which coalition formed the federal government.
“MA63 is not a seasonal political slogan. It is the foundation upon which Malaysia was formed and is enshrined in the Federal Constitution. The Sarawak government will continue to defend the state’s rights and interests for the benefit of its people and future generations,” he concluded. — DayakDaily
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