DAP Sarawak chief Chong Chieng Jen wants the state government to determine its own education curriculum, saying that the current system is peppered with an 'Umno agenda'. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, December 9, 2014.
The Sarawak government must reclaim its autonomy on education, said Sarawak DAP, as the current system is peppered with an "Umno agenda" designed to produce racists and extremists.
DAP Sarawak chief Chong Chieng Jen today said at his office in Kuching: "It's filled with Umno's political indoctrination like 'ketuanan Melayu' (Malay supremacy).
There's a glaring omission on the history of Sarawak and the formation of Malaysia.
"We need to decide on our education. All these (Umno) elements will continue to be in our school text books (if Sarawak does not regain the autonomy).
"The current syllabus we have is producing racists and religious extremists like Datuk Ibrahim Ali and Datuk Zulkifli Noordin."
Chong was referring to Malay rights group, Perkasa, which has been accused of fanning and inciting racial and religious tension in the country.
Education was point 15 in the 18-point (for Sarawak) and 20-point (for Sabah) Agreement – the list proposing terms for the two states' incorporation into Malaysia.
It says: "The existing educational system of Sarawak (and North Borneo) should be maintained and for this reason it should be under state control."
But, the two states gave up their autonomy on it, reportedly under pressure, in the mid-70s to make education "a federal matter".
In Sarawak, all that is left of the autonomy is its right to appoint its state education director.
"Take it back and do our generation a service," he said.
He said DAP would be more than willing to work with the state BN government on regaining autonomy.
Chong, who is also the Bandar Kuching MP, said special arrangements could also be negotiated by the state with Putrajaya to have "partial autonomy" on the police force and medical sector.
To meet "Sarawak's special needs", he said, local policing should be left to the state government in an arrangement similar to what they have in the United States.
He also said having partial autonomy had been proven to be workable, notably in the fight against communist insurgency in the 70s, where the Rajang Security Command, or known as Rascom, was staffed by mainly Sarawakians drawn from the police, military and related government agencies.
On the medical sector, he said Putrajaya had no idea on the needs of Sarawak, like the flying doctor service.
"All these three essential services, under federal control, are going down the drain in Sarawak."
Chong today also urged the Sarawak government to reduce the commercial and industrial tariffs by 30% "without further delay".
He said the reduced rate should be effective from January 1.
"Sesco can afford such reduction and the government has a duty to help local businesses to face the challenges in 2015 which will be a difficult year for Sarawak economy, given the introduction of GST (goods and services tax), depreciation of the ringgit and huge drop in oil revenue."
Working on calculations "based on disclosed figures", Chong said with the introduction of the new tariff rates for domestic customers – which the government announced last month – Sesco's revenue would be reduced by, at most, "only a mere" RM7.46 million a month or RM89 million a year".
"RM89 million may seem a large figure. But, if we compare the 2013 financial figures of Sesco – a revenue of RM2,312 million and profit RM408 million – RM89 million is less than 4% of Sesco's revenue or 25% of Sesco's profit.
Chong said with the projection of the Sarawak government that the committed electricity demand would increase by at least 40% by next year, Sesco's revenue would therefore exceed RM3,000 million and its profit projected to hit RM500 million next year.
"The recent reduction in domestic rates would (therefore) only constitute a 3% reduction of Sesco's projected revenue in 2015".
Chong said it is thus "obvious" that Sesco could afford to reduce the commercial and industrial tariffs by 30% even without the Murum Dam coming into operation.
"I call upon Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem to reduce the commercial and industrial rates by 30% with effect from January 1, 2015, and do not make the local commercial and industrial sectors wait unnecessarily till near election time." – December 9, 2014.
on The Malaysian Insider(09/12/2014)
