Why are villagers depending on rain for free drinking water?

By Priscilla Watson

BINTULU: Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim was stumped when villagers in Ba’ Kelalan told him that they waited for rain to get free drinking water.

“I’m in shock… (Chief Minister) Taib (Mahmud) has been in the office for 30 years and has enriched himself and members of his family while the people of Sarawak still living in poverty,” he said.

Relating his recent visit to Ba ’Kelalan in Lawas Division, he said he was impressed with huge parcels of lands in the area that were planted with oil palm.

“Some of these (oil) palm trees were planted right in front of the villagers’ doorsteps. I thought the villagers were rich.

“I was shocked to be told by the villagers that the lands did not belong to them but to Planning and Resource Management Minister, Awang Tengah Ali Hassan,” added PKR’s de facto leader.

He said he could not imagine how a leader could amass the wealth to himself alone without giving consideration to the people of his constituency.

“In Selangor which is now under Pakatan government, its citizens are enjoying free pipe-water for consumption, washing and bathing.

“I want the people of  Sarawak to voice out ‘Enough is Enough’.

“If we win this election, Pakatan will go on to take Putrajaya,” he vowed, adding that the Dayaks would then not have to depend on rain for free drinking water.

Huge crowd at ceramah

Anwar said Sarawakians must wake up to the realization that the future of the state lies in their hands and not in the hands of Taib and his cronies.

He said Taib had abused his powers to deprive the people from enjoying the vast rich natural resources  like oil and gas, timber  and even their lands being expropriated.

Anwar, who spoke with charisma and dynamism, attracted a huge crowd in the open-air coffee shops at Jalan Masjid here last night.

Chiding Taib for his condescending comment about Pakatan’s inability to govern, Anwar said: “Taib doesn’t have to tell us that we Pakatan do not know how to govern,” retorted Anwar, pointing out two of the four Pakatan states – Penang and Selangor – had performed exceedingly well.

Anwar said once Pakatan formed the government, its calibered leaders would practice fairness and justice for all races.

On the sex scandal he was allegedly involving in, Anwar said this was the mean politics practiced by Umno to destroy his political career.