Yong shows reporters a DUN official notice and an ‘Order of the Day’ document, in Bahasa Malaysia.
KUCHING (June 22): The Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (DUN) should issue all official notices in English to be line with the state government’s stand, said Democratic Action Party (DAP) Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong.
Yong said Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg had openly declared the state civil servants had liberty to use English in official letters when delivering public service.
“I call on whatever that has been preached by Sarawak Premier Abang Johari to actually be put into practice,” said Yong during a press conference at DAP Sarawak headquarters yesterday.
She said Abang Johari had reiterated the right for Sarawak to use English in the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) and court proceedings was in fact enshrined in the Federal Constitution.
“For all these years, the DUN official notices and letters are not written in English. I am kind of sad that the use of English has started to fade away. We do not see much in practice anymore, especially in official notices and letters.”
Yong said that Sarawak DUN, being the oldest state legislative assembly in the country, should lead by example on the usage of English and for the government’s stand on the language usage to be put into practice.
On another matter, Yong asked Yayasan Sarawak to open its bursary scheme application for tertiary students from B40 and M40 groups to all races, instead of being exclusively to Bumiputera students only.
The Pending assemblywoman said she had come across an advertisement by Yayasan Sarawak on the bursary scheme for Bumiputera students and it seemed to be contradictory to Abang Johari’s recent announcement.
“I remember not so long ago during Yayasan Sarawak’s 50th anniversary dinner that the Sarawak Premier said in a speech claiming that Yayasan Sarawak was not only for Bumiputeras but for all Sarawakians,” said Yong.
She said the state government, through Yayasan Sarawak, must provide equal opportunities to all youth, regardless of race, in applying for the bursary scheme if it was indeed serious in stemming the brain drain issue in the state and observe the principle of meritocracy.
“The bursary scheme should be inclusive to help all races and this advertisement was evidence in showing the true colour of the state government and does not treat all races equally.”
Yong said all families were affected by economic challenges irrespective of their race and she reiterated her call for Yayasan Sarawak to include students of races to be eligible for Yayasan Sarawak’s bursary scheme, in line with Abang Johari’s recent announcement.
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