‘Big mandate for Adenan will boost talk with Putrajaya’

February 3, 2016 

SIBU: A big mandate for Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem will give him an added boost in his negotiations with Putrajaya, says Assistant Minister of Social Development Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

He said this in reaction to Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen’s recent statement that the state BN was presently strong enough to get Putrajaya to accept its demands for autonomy and hence, there was no reason for Adenan to keep calling for a big win in the coming state election for him to talk to Putrajaya.

“I am amused with YB Chong’s latest remark that there is no reason for Adenan to ask for a big mandate in the forthcoming state election for him to talk to Putrajaya.

Probably YB Chong is getting jittery with the popularity of Adenan to the extent that he comes up with the contention that it is not necessary for a big mandate for Adenan since BN is the government at both federal and state levels.”

Abdul Karim, who is Asajaya assemblyman, suggested that with a big mandate, Adenan could sit on the negotiating table with Putrajaya, knowing fully-well that the people of Sarawak were all behind him in his struggle and not just a portion of them.

“Chong is trying to frustrate this talk and negotiations with Putrajaya and I do not blame him. Chong heads the Sarawak branch of a Peninsular Malaysian-based party in DAP and they do not have any love for the state,” Abdul Karim, who is a a PBB supreme council member said.

“Chong has been running down our CM in whatever good deeds and actions he does and especially in his (Adenan’s) negotiations with Putrajaya.

“His sincerity is questioned. When Adenan managed to successfully negotiate for the first stage of devolution of powers which saw 13 administrative actions being agreed, Chong was among the first person to run it down.”

Adenan is now moving into the second stage of negotiations which relate to state rights, infringement of Federal Legislation on state rights and on constitutional matters.

“And we are happy to see that the prime minister has reciprocated positively during his recent visit to Bintulu with an assurance that ‘Sarawak claims to rights agreed upon under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 would be given back…subject to negotiations and discussion with the state BN headed by Adenan’.”

“I am pretty sure Putrajaya’s doors would be slammed shut if DAP or YB Chong were to request for it.

“I believe we are seeing light at the end of the tunnel in our negotiations for the return of the state’s rights,” Abdul Karim said.