Stop bickering and resolve country’s issues harmoniously, says Nanta

KUCHING (Jan 29): Malaysia needs to stop constantly bickering and work on resolving issues harmoniously, said Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi.

The Works Minister suggested Peninsular Malaysia should emulate Sarawak’s method of dealing with disagreements.

“Region is important, race is important, language is important. We solve the problem in harmony, you should learn from us.

“Over here (in Peninsular Malaysia), you quarrel about everything. Looking at what is happening here, maybe we are never meant to be one, that’s why we are separated by the South China Sea,” the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) secretary-general told BFM’s The Breakfast Grille.

Nanta said it is high time for all parties involved to stop heated arguments or disagreements about everything.

“If we continue to quarrel about everything, then don’t blame us. If you don’t like us, then divorce us, forget it,” he said, stressing: “We don’t want to spend time on bickering.”

He recalled that his grandfather, the late Tun Temenggong Jugah Barieng, was one of the signatories of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), representing the Dayak community.

As a Malaysian, Nanta said he is duty bound to protect the country.

“I love Malaysia. When I have to think about Sarawak, I am with the Premier (Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg), I am with the Sarawakians. I need to protect Sarawak and if Sarawak prospers, Malaysia prospers.

“In the past, even before Malaysia, the Dayaks and the Malays from Sarawak voluntarily became armed forces, joining Malaya to fight enemies.

“Sarawak always plays our part in nation-building. Hopefully, Sarawak will get what we are asking for,” he said, adding that the state wants autonomy in healthcare and education as well as a certain control of its oil and gas resources.

On the Sarawak formula, he said discussing this subject requires an understanding of Abang Johari’s personality.

He said as a down-to-earth and visionary leader, the Premier always does things sincerely and understands how to preserve harmony.

“Sarawak is a multicultural society and we have many tribal groups. He (Abang Johari) is solidly supporting everybody.”

Nanta pointed out that although Dayaks make up almost 50 per cent of Sarawak’s population, the state’s top leadership post has mostly been held by Muslims.

Sarawak’s first two chief ministers were Iban Christians – Tan Sri Datuk Amar Stephen Kalong Ningkan (1963 to 1966) and Dato Sri Penghulu Tawi Sli (1966 to 1970).

Nanta acknowledged that former chief ministers the late Tun Datuk Patinggi Abdul Rahman Yakub and the late Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud steered Sarawak’s development to greater heights.

“When (Tun Pehin Sri) Adenan Satem came in, he made sure that we should not have problems with race and religion. He said: ‘Nobody is pendatang’ (immigrants); he said that to assure the Chinese.

“Abang Johari established Unifor (Unit for Other Religions) to take care of all religions apart from Islam. Abang Johari does things for the rakyat and the various rural development agencies focus on certain regions,” he said.

Nanta, who is Kapit MP and Upper Rajang Development Agency chairman, added that regions in Sarawak which used to lag in terms of development are now catching up.