Our folks are giving their two thumbs up to the hybrid method of registering people in outstation areas for vaccination

Our local folks especially those in rural areas are giving their two thumbs up to the hybrid method of registering people in outstation areas for vaccination through MySejahtera apps and also manual ways.

This was mentioned by our Chief Minister, Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Abang Openg who said such method is considered since many rural folks live far from vaccination centres. Thus, they will still be vaccinated if they turn up without first registering through MySejahtera or at the various Resident's Office.

Our Chief Minister had also requested all elected representatives to help register people in their respective constituencies so that Sarawak can achieve herd immunity by the end of August. Sarawak will receive 380,000 doses of Sinovac vaccine on 8 June and this will enable us to speed up its Covid-19 immunisation process in the effort to achieve herd immunity as targeted.

The present batch of vaccine doses is also part of the amount announced by National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NCIP) which was recently announced by YB  Khairy Jamaluddin who is also the coordinating minister for the programme. 

Sarawak would receive 380,000 doses of vaccine every week beginning the first week of June until the end of August, putting us on track to be the first in Malaysia to complete its immunisation programme by vaccinating 2.2 million of its population.

According to our Chief Minister, Miri will receive 89,360 doses on June 10 and about 30,000 of our local folks had registered for the AstraZeneca vaccine where by Sarawak’s target is to hit one million vaccine jabs by the end of this month.

As of 7 June, a total of 1,000 of our folks got their jabs at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) vaccination centre and another was opened at the National Youth Skills Training Centre (IKBN) in Miri, which will operate from 8 June until the end of July.

Contributing to Sarawak's State Disaster Fund is to help our local folks. not merely for publicity

Recently I had openly requested our local opposition party leaders not to simply criticise the state GPS government leaders’ good intention to play their part in contributing towards the State Disaster Fund that was aimed to curb the spread of Covid19.

I have mentioned DAP's Sarawak chairman, YB Chong Chieng Jen and president of Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB), YB president Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh who should not chastise us as all we want to do is to help our local folks.

I have told them that if you too want to help, please do so and donate your salaries too. If the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) assemblymen are willing to donate two months of their salaries, both of them should do so as well.

The move made by the state government's cabinet, GPS state assemblymen and political secretaries in contributing two months of their salaries was to show that we are concern with the local folk’s plight and in doing so, even those in civil service have agreed to donate to the State Disaster Fund.

Both DAP and PSB may say that the move was simply a political gimmick to get publicity mileage but similar move had been emulated by other state governments nationwide, including that in Penang which is governed by the DAP.

It is not only the Sarawak GPS leaders donating their salaries, the Penang government leaders who are DAP members are also doing the same although they are only giving one month's salary. Thus, if they (Sarawak DAP) say we in GPS are only trying to attract publicity, then how about the Penang government which is run by DAP? Is it only doing it for publicity as well?

Talking about the automatic dissolution of our State Legislative Assembly if there is no extension of nationwide emergency

Recently I have mentioned to our media friends that the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) term will automatically dissolve on August 1, 2021 if there is no extension of the nationwide emergency.

Speaking as the vice-president of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), I have also mentioned that when the emergency ends on Aug 1, our 12th State Election (PRN12) must be held within 60 days from that date.

The term of the present DUN as stipulated in the Federal Constitution and State Constitution is five years which ends on June 6, 2021, which is now superseded by the Emergency Ordinance 2021. Upon its dissolution, the law stipulates that an election must be held within 60 days from the date of dissolution. However, due to the emergency being imposed now, the emergency powers override the constitution.

I have also stressed that the emergency was proclaimed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong because of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. If, on August 1, the pandemic has not subsided in Sarawak and the Yang Dipertuan Agong feels that it is not safe for the state election to be held, he may proclaim further extension to the emergency and the state election will be further delayed.

On my personal view on the question of when is the right time for our state election to be held, I have mentioned that it is dependent on the Covid-19 situation because the safety of our local folks is of utmost importance and this should not be compromised. We also hope that with the extensive vaccination programme being done, it could bring down the spike of Covid-19 cases and thus make way for the election to be held safely.

Previously on May 25, our Chief Minister Office (CMO) in a statement had announced that Duli Yang Maha Mulia, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah had advised Sarawak's Government to function as usual with the powers under the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance 2021 after looking at the rather worrying situation of Covid-19, .

This was also after leaders of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) state government, led by our Right Honourable Chief Minister, Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg, had an audience with the King via online meeting regarding the DUN term and PRN12.

The statement also said that following the declaration of emergency on January 11 until August 1, the power to dissolve the Sarawak DUN falls under the jurisdiction of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong after consultation with Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud in accordance with Article 13 and Article 15 of the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance 2021.

In line with the authority of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, our Chief Minister had handed over the decision to dissolve Sarawak's state assembly on an appropriate date at the discretion of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong together with the Head of State of Sarawak after receiving advice from the Attorney-General, Election Commission (EC), Health Ministry, Royal Malaysian Police, and Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM).

Doing our part in contributing State Disaster Fund

 

Members of Sarawak cabinet including myself have wholeheartedly supported the move for us to contribute towards the State Disaster Fund can be best described as a reflection of our caring state government and its local leaders.

Hopefully, the two months’ salary deduction and contribution to the State Disaster Fund can help address in a small way the difficulties that the public are facing now. Such initiative is also a testimony that our GPS Sarawak government is very concerned in taking care of the welfare of the people of Sarawak in many ways.

Thus, we fully support our Right Honourable Chief Minister’s recent announcement on the two months’ worth of salary from Sarawak Cabinet ministers and allowances from GPS’ state assembly representatives as well as political secretaries that would be contributed to the State Disaster Fund.

Apart from that, Sarawak civil servants, excluding frontliners directly involved in the control of the Covid-19 pandemic, will also contribute a certain amount of their fixed entertainment allowance (ITK) in July and August to the fund. 

It is our commitment in helping our local folks and part of the continuous effort to ensure that every community members affected by the Covid-19 pandemic will be assisted through such contribution. We are still fighting the battle against Covid-19 situation together and all affected communities must also continue to adhere to the standard operating procedure (SOP) set by our government in order to break the Covid-19 chain so that everyone remain safe.

Welcoming the recent launch of e-belia programme by our YAB Prime Minister

 We welcome the recently launched e-Belia programme that will give RM150 in e-wallet funds to all youths aged 18 to 20 as well as full time undergraduates who are studying in various higher education institutes (IPT).

Big thanks to our Federal Government led by Right Honourable Prime Minister, Yang Amat Berhormat Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in allocating RM300 million for the pro­gramme under Budget 2021 that will benefit to 2 million Malaysians aged 18 to 20 as well as full-time IPT students.

Such initia­tive is also expected to boost our local economy because of the spin off effects and it will encourage micro, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to start accepting cashless payments and to accelerate the shift to a digital economy.

According to our Prime Minister, the initiative is also giving the opportunity for us to support our local entrepreneurs, who are mainly youths as well. “As a digital citizen, I believe you can pioneer cashless payment meth­ods, thus encouraging other merchants to use such payment methods,” the Prime Minister had mentioned said in his speech at the recent launching ceremony. The period for the youths to claim the credits is from 1 June 2021 to 22 July 2021, and the credit can be spent until 31 July 2021.

One thing good from this initiative is that most of the operators will also match or give offers greater amounts than the RM150 which our government had given, in the form of credits or reward points.

We share the prime minister’s views on today’s youths who are the generation of digital natives who play very important role in steering and ensuring the success of our country’s digitalisation efforts. Our youths are also very lucky as they are able to make optimal use of digital applications to increase their knowledge, to communicate with each other and even to find job and business opportunities.

The government had always encouraged our youths to continue exploring innovations and become idea initiators in line with the development of new technologies. Being digital na­tives, our youths can also spearhead the adoption of cashless payment methods and encourage other business operators and traders in adopting cashless solutions. The digital natives, who are the main generator of our national digitalisation agenda, made up 13.4 per cent or more than 3.9 mil­lion of Malaysia’s population.

Kudos also to our government’s efforts in implementing various aspects of digitalisation in its business operations with the aim to achieve cashless payments for all public services by 2022, in line with the objectives of Budget 2021 in order to improve the public service delivery. Thus, members of the public will no longer have to join long queues just to make payments at various service counters and this will benefit the government as mentioned by our prime minister, as of last year 60 per cent of the government’s revenue collection was through e-payment.