LETTER | Sarawak Chief Minister Abang Johari claim that local parties are determining Sarawak's destiny is merely hot air when the federal Umno government continues to have full control of the three major ministries, i.e. taxation, education and healthcare.

If we were to “determine our own destiny”, we must have full control over the rights to taxation, education and healthcare.

At the moment, these ministries and powers are still firmly in the hand of the federal Umno government.

To our disappointment, the state BN government does not even dare to demand for the full devolution of these three areas of power from its Umno master in the federal government.

Take taxation as an example. The federal government’s revenue was RM220 billion in 2017 and estimated to be RM240 billion in 2018. By comparison, the state government’s revenue was only RM6 billion in 2017 and RM5.5 billion in 2018.

The state government’s annual revenue was less than 3% of the federal government’s annual revenue. As such, for the implementation of most major projects, the state will still have to beg for the necessary funding.

Moreover, the GST which affects the everyday lives of all Sarawakians was implemented with the blind support of Sarawak BN. On this matter, the Sarawak BN sided with the federal Umno government to force the GST onto all Sarawakians.

Meanwhile, the federal Umno government still has full control over education and healthcare.

How are Sarawak’s “local parties' going to determine Sarawak’s destiny when these three major ministries are within the full control of Umno? To make matters worse, Abang Johari’s so-called negotiation for devolution of power does not even touch on these matters, but only on some trivial peripheral matters.

On the contrary, Pakatan Harapan has promised the following devolution of power to the Sarawak people, i.e.

1. A total of 20% oil and gas royalties and 50% of all taxes collected in Sarawak to go to the state government;

2. Full power in education, including all matters on the school syllabus, building of schools, employment of teachers and setting up the English medium schools; and

3. Full power in healthcare including all matters on the development of hospitals and clinics, employment of doctors and nurses and procurement of medicines and medical equipment.

This is the “New Deal” offered to the people of Sarawak should Pakatan Harapan becomes the federal government in the next election. There is no need for further negotiation.

On the contrary, at the moment, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, the federal Umno government and the Sarawak BN government are still beating around the bush about the negotiation on the devolution of power.

Abang Johari cannot even tell us specifically what ministry which the state BN is negotiating for.

Even the 20% oil and gas royalties which the Sarawak state assembly has unanimously approved three years ago has now been shelved and forgotten by both the state and federal BN governments.

It is abundantly clear that the federal Umno government will never devolve power on taxation, education and healthcare to Sarawak and the Sarawak BN does not dare to make demands thereof for fear of antagonising its Umno master.

Furthermore, to allow Najib and Umno to rule Malaysia for another five years will spell disaster for the whole nation.

Therefore, if Sarawakians want genuine devolution of power, in particular full power in education and healthcare and the powers on taxation, the only way is to have Pakatan Harapan as the federal government.

CHONG CHIENG JEN is Sarawak DAP chairperson.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.