Wong, who is Bawang Assan assemblyman, wondered if the GPS lawmaker was trying to divert attention from the bigger problems by raising something of little importance.
KUCHING (Sept 4): Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) president Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh is surprised that Kapit MP Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi has chosen to question his geographical and political knowledge rather than looking at the bigger picture of the Baleh logjam.
“Covid-19 has taught us many lessons including the need to be prepared for the unexpected – more so the expected.
“On this premise, I read with amusement that Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi had chosen to question, if not attack my geographical and political knowledge of his Kapit constituency rather than looking at the bigger picture of the disastrous logjam.
“I am indeed surprised that Nanta had chosen to attack the messenger rather than zooming in on the intended message,” he said in a statement today.
Wong, who is Bawang Assan assemblyman, wondered if the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) lawmaker was trying to divert attention from the bigger problems by raising something of little importance.
“Is he (Nanta) trying to divert attention from the bigger problems by raising something so trivial that only irrational minds would believe that I am ignorant of the political and geographical location of his beloved hometown Kapit? Cetainly not, with utmost respect to Nanta and all the people of Kapit.
“All roads lead to Rome just as all the waters and tributaries of central Sarawak and what they carry will flow into the mighty Rejang River and ultimately, towards the South China Sea.
“In short, what happens upstream will obviously affect the downstream and I will not engage in a debate over this,” he said.
Wong added: “I need not respectfully remind Nanta that even Sibu’s water supply was disrupted as the Sibu Water Board (SWB) was unable to extract water from the Rejang River due to high siltation that had been caused by the logjam which started in the upper reaches of the Baleh River in Kapit Division.”
He said he was certain that the Sibu folks would prefer to hear a more positive response from Nanta in his capacity as a senior MP and federal minister for all Malaysians, if not fellow Sarawakians.
“As a senior politician and MP-cum-federal minister, Nanta should know the consequences of the disaster and how it had adversely affected his own Dayak community, particularly those living along the stretches of the Rejang River right up to the source of the logjam – not to mention the destruction and harm to the ecological system,” stressed the former state cabinet member.
Wong said logjam had already happened in 2010 and it happened again this year.
“This is a serious socio-economic and environmental issue, affecting the whole stretch of the Rejang river basin and this is a disaster which should never be allowed to be repeated.
“Will Nanta want to wait for another logjam to happen again in 2031? I pray and hope not. My humble message and friendly reminder to Nanta – please don’t miss the forest for the trees,” he added.
He asserted that the recognition of a problem is the beginning of a solution.
He felt that all parties should work together to come up with workable solutions to solve the problem as fellow Sarawakians’ lives and livelihood had been affected and impacted by this disastrous logjam – which should never be allowed to happen in the first place.
“I also know that when one of us is threatened, all of us are at risk. Each of our problems is of concern to another. Each of us is a vital thread in the tapestry of another’s life despite being on different sides of the political divide,” he said.
Wong said Covid-19 had taught people harsh lessons to seek common solutions for the greater good and the logjam is no different.
“I wish you (Nanta) well and may this be the last logjam Sarawak will experience if we really put our hearts and minds together to resolve the problems for all affected Sarawakians.
“May I end this statement with an answer to Nanta’s question – ‘Yes, I know where Kapit is’,” he added.
from Borneo Post Online https://bit.ly/2WOPPph
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