Tan Kay Hok
KUCHING (July 25): The recently-launched Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 has been branded ‘unrealistic’ given the economic stagnation amidst the pandemic.
In stating this, Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) Pending branch chairman Tan Kay Hok says Sarawakians are more concerned about how to overcome the current economic difficulties caused by the pandemic, rather than about the development plans slated for the next nine years.
“It also reminds people of the government’s previous national development and reform plans including former prime ministers Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s ‘Vision 2020’; Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s ‘Economic Corridor’; Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s ‘1Malaysia’ and ‘2050 National Transformation 2050’ (TN50); as well as the ‘Vision for Shared Prosperity 2030’ (SPV 2030) proposed by the former Pakatan Harapan (PH)-led federal government.
“They all seem to have been reduced to political slogans that have not actually led to significant economic restructuring. Hence, whether the PCDS 2030 would become a white elephant project is no longer important to Sarawakians,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Tan felt that the Sarawak government should give priority to helping the people solve their immediate problems.
The state government would have more sources of funding and lift Sarawakians out of their difficulties and achieve future development plans if it succeeded in seeking greater autonomy from the federal government.
“If Sarawak could claim autonomy, the Sarawak government would receive a higher oil royalty of at least 20 per cent, which would ensure that Sarawak’s natural resources would be properly protected and managed.
“This would, in turn, help sustain economic growth and, at the same time, create more jobs for Sarawakians and ensure generations to come would continue to benefit,” he added.
Tan said the Sarawak government could use the revenue collected from the State Sales Tax to help cushion the economic impact on Sarawakians during this pandemic.
“In addition, for the oil taxes last year and this year, the government must disclose the data at an early date to make them more transparent and trustworthy.”
Tan stressed that the state government must proactively request the federal government to return Sarawak its legal rights and interests on its natural resources.
He reminded all that Sarawak had a 12-nautical-mile border with Malaysia when it came in to form Malaysia, but after the Territorial Sea Act 2012, it had only three nautical miles left.
“In fact, most of the oil resources in the Sarawak sea are located three nautical miles away, so if Sarawak regains this area, we would have more sources of income to actually help the people of Sarawak,” he said.
He said Sarawak government’s policies and projects in many areas including public works, healthcare, welfare, environment, finance, transportation and fisheries needed to be approved and reviewed by the federal government before they could be implemented.
He added that many of these federal acts were not suitable for Sarawak, given that East Malaysia was different from Peninsular Malaysia.
“If Sarawak had autonomy, we could proceed with Sarawak’s development plans in the most consistent and precise manner.
“This would not only boost Sarawak’s economic development, but would also invest funds in the right areas and projects, which in turn, should give Sarawak the opportunity to become a welfare state, to become more prosperous and better, and to have the rights of important areas.”
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