Pakatan Rakyat has proposed the setting up of a RM1 billion Dayak endowment fund if it wins the coming Sarawak state election, DAP secretary general Lim Guan Eng said in Kuching today.
"The fund is to redress the gross neglect, improve the economic welfare and uplift the educational standards of the Dayak community," he said to reporters after the opening of the 15th Sarawak DAP annual convention.
Lim, who is also the chief minister of Penang, accused the BN government in Sarawak of marginalising and neglecting the Dayak community while their leaders and ministers enrich themselves.
"The fund is to redress the gross neglect, improve the economic welfare and uplift the educational standards of the Dayak community," he said to reporters after the opening of the 15th Sarawak DAP annual convention.
Lim, who is also the chief minister of Penang, accused the BN government in Sarawak of marginalising and neglecting the Dayak community while their leaders and ministers enrich themselves.
"Pakatan, when it comes to power in Sarawak, wants to help the community which been marginalised and neglected for far too long," he said.
"The people to manage the fund won't be appointed by us. We will let the Dayaks to elect among themselves who should run and manage the fund," he added.
The Dayaks make up of about two-thirds of Sarawak's population of 2.6 million and live mostly in rural areas which are lacking in good roads and other facilities.
Earlier in his speech, Lim said the coming state election is a crucial crossroad for Sarawakians to choose between the BN's politics of patronage, cronyism and corruption or Pakatan, a government centred on enabling the people with skills and education, empowering them with rights and opportunities and enriching the people by ensuring an equal share of the fruits of economic success.
He questioned why many Sarawakians are still poor and Sarawak is not the richest state in Malaysia when it is blessed with natural resources of timber, oil, gas and land.
"Unfortunately, Sarawak is also full of crocodiles of the two-legged kind. Politics of patronage, cronyism and corruption have also robbed Sarawakians of their birthrights," he said.
Lim said over-logging resulted in contaminated rivers, while land is forcibly taken away from the natives, leaving them homeless or dislocated. Also town landowners worry about the renewal of lease premiums at a high price.
"The time has come to stop over-logging, increase oil and gas royalties from the present five per cent to 20 per cent and return land to the people and natives," he said.
Two-party system
Lim said only a two-party system or a change in the government can guarantee that the people's rights are respected.
"We propose an immediate stop to taking away native land and automatic renewal of lease premiums at nominal cost.
"In Penang, the State government wanted to give freehold titles to low-cost houses free of charge, but was stopped by the BN. Renewal of lease premiums is set automatically to 99 years at only 10 per cent of market value," he said.
He said Pakatan, if it is elected to be the next government, would provide a fixed sum every year for all schools, including Chinese and Mission schools in Sarawak to ensure that they are well-equipped and provided with electricity and water.
"We will also provide transport subsidies for all school-going children in urban and rural areas," Lim added.
He said Sarawak is rich enough to afford all these if corrupt practices are stopped.
"Like in Penang and other Pakatan-ruled states, we will fight corruption by implementing an open tender system, separate business from politics and ban the chief minister, state ministers, MPs, State assemblymen and district councillors from being granted state land or contracts.
"We will implement good governance based on competency, accountability and transparency to restore prosperity in Sarawak," he said.
Most investments
"We propose an immediate stop to taking away native land and automatic renewal of lease premiums at nominal cost.
"In Penang, the State government wanted to give freehold titles to low-cost houses free of charge, but was stopped by the BN. Renewal of lease premiums is set automatically to 99 years at only 10 per cent of market value," he said.
He said Pakatan, if it is elected to be the next government, would provide a fixed sum every year for all schools, including Chinese and Mission schools in Sarawak to ensure that they are well-equipped and provided with electricity and water.
"We will also provide transport subsidies for all school-going children in urban and rural areas," Lim added.
He said Sarawak is rich enough to afford all these if corrupt practices are stopped.
"Like in Penang and other Pakatan-ruled states, we will fight corruption by implementing an open tender system, separate business from politics and ban the chief minister, state ministers, MPs, State assemblymen and district councillors from being granted state land or contracts.
"We will implement good governance based on competency, accountability and transparency to restore prosperity in Sarawak," he said.
Most investments
Lim said because of the good governance practised by the Penang government, the state now attracts the most investments in Malaysia last year.
"Penang replaced the previous champion Sarawak with RM12.2 billion investment in 2010. It was No. 4 in 2009 with RM2.1 billion but shot to No.1. On the other hand, Sarawak went down to No.4 with RM3.9 billion investment in 2010 from No. 1 with RM8.5 billion in 2009," he said.
He said this showed that both local and foreign investors have confidence in the Pakatan government in Penang.
Selangor, another Pakatan-ruled state, is second with RM10.6 billion investment in 2010.
"In fact, the four PR states of Penang, Selangor, Kedah and Kelantan combined comprise RM25 billion investments or 53 per cent of the total investments in Malaysia of RM47.177 billion in 2010." - Malaysiakini
"Penang replaced the previous champion Sarawak with RM12.2 billion investment in 2010. It was No. 4 in 2009 with RM2.1 billion but shot to No.1. On the other hand, Sarawak went down to No.4 with RM3.9 billion investment in 2010 from No. 1 with RM8.5 billion in 2009," he said.
He said this showed that both local and foreign investors have confidence in the Pakatan government in Penang.
Selangor, another Pakatan-ruled state, is second with RM10.6 billion investment in 2010.
"In fact, the four PR states of Penang, Selangor, Kedah and Kelantan combined comprise RM25 billion investments or 53 per cent of the total investments in Malaysia of RM47.177 billion in 2010." - Malaysiakini
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