Posts
KUCHING – Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS) leader Francis Paul Siah said today that Sarawak would be better off having a ‘donkey’ for a chief minister than Abdul Taib Mahmud.
“Taib’s sycophants in Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB) who had lambasted MoCS for its campaign to oust Taib seem to think that the chief minister is the smartest and most capable man in Sarawak who should rule forever.
“Lest we forget, some of the early leaders of Sarawak were illiterate. A former Sarawak minister in the Federal Cabinet never went to school. Two former Sarawak chief ministers were not highly educated.
“They might not have brought much development to the state because the circumstances and situation then were different but they were real Sarawak patriots. Their mission was totally geared towards the interests of the people and state. They never thought about personal gain.
“They did not steal from their fellow Sarawakians or plunder the state’s resources to enrich themselves. They may not be academically qualified but they did not cause misery and suffering to the people,” Siah pointed out.
‘Ops Taibetes’ on track
“Today, we have a chief minister who is a well known ‘daylight robber’. If we have to choose between a ‘donkey’ and Taib to be our chief minister, the ‘donkey’ is our preference.
In the animal kingdom, Siah said, a donkey is considered cautious, friendly, playful, and eager to learn.
“Donkeys have a reputation for stubbornness and it is difficult to force or frighten a donkey into doing something it sees as contrary to its own best interest. The animal can be a willing and companionable partner and very dependable in work and recreation, according to formal studies,” he said.
The MoCS leader was commenting on a statement by Taib’s chief political secretary Abdul Karim Hamzah published in a local daily that Taib should stay on as the chief minister for as long as he wanted as he was the most qualified man to lead the state.
Karim also charged that MoCS was only good in making noises but failed to deliver in times of action, which was evident when the proposed rally on Aug 13 was called off despite Siah saying it would continue even without a police permit.
“MoCS conceded the Aug 13 ‘battle’ to Taib and PBB. But ‘Ops Taibetes’ is still on track. Our mission for democratic reforms and good governance continue despite the ‘813’ setback. We maintain that there can only be change and reform in Sarawak with Taib out of the scene,” Siah stressed.
Taib, give definite date
Last Saturday, the MoCS leader demanded Taib give a definite date on when he would step down.
He made this demand during a hastily arranged press conference after the planned rally at the Museum Garden was scrapped in the last-minute.
Siah said Taib must come clean and tell the truth for once.
“He must give a definite date on when he is stepping down just like former prime ministers Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tun Abdullah Badawi.
“If he is not prepared to set the date, then he is merely lying about wanting to step down in two to three years. The people will not believe him,” Siah said.
MoCS also reminded Abdul Karim that he has yet to reply to Dato Salleh Jafaruddin’s query over the Tabung Haji land deals which he (Abdul Karim) and another PBB leader had allegedly made millions without settling income tax.
In a statement on May 7, Salleh who is MoCS adviser claimed that Karim and a former PBB assemblyman were enjoying the financial shares of the Tabung Haji land deals.
“I call on MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) and the Income Tax Department to immediately conduct an investigation as to how the land deal which Tabung Haji brought from both of you came about.
“I also request Inland Revenue Department to find out whether the personal income tax was paid by both of you as the amount is substantial. It is easily more than RM10 million,” Salleh had said.
“Today, let me advise Karim to respond to Salleh’s query. This is a serious matter and he has kept quiet about it for more than three months.
“Karim should stop wasting his time bootlicking his political master and get down to some serious work which requires his attention,” Siah added.
No comments:
Post a Comment