We are different from BN, Anwar tells Sarawakians

Joseph Tawie | September 17, 2012

In a move to stand apart from 'colonialist' BN, Pakatan leaders signed the Kuching Declaration to honout the spirit and terms of the Malaysia Agreement.

KUCHING: National and state leaders of Pakatan Rakyat signed the ‘Kuching Declaration’ to honour the spirit and the 18/20-point Malaysia Agreement which they said have not been fulfilled by the BN government for the last 49 years.

The declaration was signed at the inaugural Pakatan Rakyat’s Malaysia Day celebration held at Chonglin Park, Kuching yesterday before thousands of supporters and well-wishers.

The de facto leader of Pakatan Rakyat Anwar Ibrahim said that the declaration was to affirm their commitment to the Malaysia Agreement.

Anwar, who signed on behalf of his party, said: “It is our commitment to the people of Sarawak and Sabah and the nation.

“Unlike the Barisan Nasional government which has failed us, we from the Pakatan Rakyat will give meaning to the Agreement.

“We will be different from BN which has taken over the role of new colonialists who have been taking away the rights of the people,” he said.

These declarations would be our guideline, he added.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang who signed the declaration on behalf of his party, said that he was perplexed that Sarawak after 49 years still used ferries as a means of transportation.

DAP national advisor Lim Kit Siang and Sarawak DAP chairman Wong Ho Leng signed the declaration on behalf their party. The other signatories were Baru Bian, chairman of Sarawak PKR and Adam Ahid, Sarawak PAS Commissioner.

The Kuching Declaration

The Declaration reads: “Lest we forget, and lest all the peoples of our great Nation of Malaysia forget, we the undersigned do once again firmly, resolutely and unequivocally pledge and promise before the whole nation of Malaysia as our witness, on this historically day the Sept 16, 2012, in the City of Kuching, and on behalf of our respective parties and Pakatan Rakyat will honour all its pledges and promises to the peoples of Malaysia.

“We will honourably execute all the policies set forth in the Buku Jingga so that Malaysia will once again be a great nation, her peoples prosperous, her future secure and peaceful, and her name celebrated by all the nations of the world.

“We will honour the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement of 1963 which our founding fathers put their hands to, and as a sign of our deep commitment to the peoples of Sarawak and Sabah, consistent with democratic principles and justice for all Malaysians, in particular:

Article One: Equal Partners

“We will restore the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement and the position of Sarawak and Sabah as equal partners within Malaysia by restoring autonomy to Sarawak and Sabah within the framework of the Federal Constitution.

Article Two: Fair Representation

“We will increase national integration between Sarawak, Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia through a fair power-sharing arrangement that fully upholds the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement.

Article Three: Citizenship

“We will set up a Royal Commission to solve the perennial national problem of illegal immigration and citizenship, particularly in Sarawak and Sabah.

Article Four: Restoration of Native Customary Rights over land

“We will endorse the authority already vested in the state laws of Sarawak and Sabah to set up Land Commissions to investigate, resolve disputes, redress, survey and restore Native Customary Rights over Native Customary Lands.

Article Five: Competent Sarawak and Sabah

“We will endorse the appointment of Sarawak and Sabah citizens to head government departments in their own respective states and by the powers vested in the state secretaries of both states as well as give first priority to the appointment of Sarawak and Sabah citizens at federal government level functioning within Sarawak and Sabah.

Article Six: Oil Justice

“We will raise the royalties paid on petroleum and hydrocarbon resources to Sarawak and Sabah to 20% from the present 5%.

Article Seven; Equitable Development

“We will bring the level of infrastructure development in Sarawak and Sabah up to par with Peninsular Malaysia.

“We, the undersigned, make this declaration as an incontrovertible contract between the Pakatan Rakyat and the peoples of Malaysia, this historic day of Sept 16, 2012 on Malaysia Day, so that it may ring out resoundingly from Malaysia’s high forest hills down to the open sea; so that freedom may ever reign; and our peoples live in unity.”