SARAWAK LIVE: autonomy

‘Big mandate for Adenan will boost talk with Putrajaya’

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. -Borneo Post

While Sarawak speaks up on autonomy, Sabah is mute

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah opposition strongman Jeffery Kitingan has expressed dismay that while Sarawak has been growing increasingly vociferous on the return of Full Autonomy to the state, the Sabah Government appears to be more muted and apparently was willing to settle for the transfer of administrative management from the Federal Government.

“It was the activists in Sabah who not only led the way once on autonomy but pushed their counterparts in Sarawak into action.

“The Sarawak Government has officially recognised 22 July 1963 as Independence Day, and declared that the 1963 Federation was an equal one made up of Sabah, Sarawak and Malaya.”

Sarawak Chief Minister Adenan Satem, added Jeffrey who is also Bingkor Assemblyman and Star Sabah Chief, pushed Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak on this matter. The latter has since agreed that the state should have its Full Autonomy returned to it. “Najib has instructed the Chief Secretary to commence talks with the Sarawak Government on the devolution of powers to the Sarawak Government.

“In Sabah, nothing of that sort is happening since the state government is controlled by Umno and other component parties in the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition are subservient.”

Sabahans, said Jeffrey, cannot look at Sarawak and take things for granted. “They need to wake up from their slumber.

“Nothing will be handed to them on a silver platter.”

Jeffrey, who is also United Borneo Front (UBF) Chairman, was announcing that the five-year-old NGO will make solidarity the buzzword in the run-up to the 14th General Election in 2018. “In Solidarity, We Shall Triumph.”

He urged MPs from Sabah and Sarawak to realise that if 11 of them now hold positions in the Federal Cabinet, it was because of the kingmaker status that their homelands have enjoyed since 2008. “The 57 MPs from Borneo decide who forms the government in Putrajaya.”

“BN’s 87 MPs from Malaya or Pakatan’s 79 MPs there cannot on their own form the Federal Government since they have less than the 112 seats needed to meet the threshold requirement.”

The Sabah lawmaker said that he agreed with Opposition Parliamentary Leader Wan Azizah Wan Ismail that the 57 MPs in Borneo, 47 of whom are from BN and 10 from the Opposition, should get together and form their own Borneo Block in Parliament. “That would be the way to get the rights of Sabah and Sarawak restored. They need to speak with one voice, and engage in one struggle for the return of Full Autonomy.”

“The people of Sabah and Sarawak have already realised that they should stand together against Putrajaya in order to win back their rights.”

Jeffrey’s Star Sabah and other local opposition parties have since formed the United Sabah Alliance (USA) with the theme, “USA menang, Sabah Sarawak senang.” (USA wins, Sabah and Sarawak will find it easier).-FMT

Adakah Adenan benar-benar serius untuk autonomi pendidikan?

KOMEN: Adakah Ketua Menteri Sarawak Adenan Satem benar-benar serius mahu menjadikan autonomi dalam pendidikan dan mengembalikan sekolah aliran Inggeris sebagai agendanya?

Jika ya, mungkin kerajaan negeri boleh mengaplikasikan cadangan DAP Sarawak yang menggesa kerajaan memperuntukkan sepuluh peratus daripada Belanjawan Negeri 2016 untuk pendidikan.

Menurut rancangan itu, ia untuk memulakan agenda autonomi Sarawak dalam bidang pendidikan dan memperkenalkan semula bahasa Inggeris sebagai medium pengajaran di sekolah Cina dan mubaligh, serta sekolah-sekolah lain.

Sekolah-sekolah ini seharusnya dikendalikan di bawah Yayasan Sarawak atau sebuah badan di bawah kerajaan negeri.

“Jika kerajaan negeri benar-benar serius tentang autonomi pendidikan dan pengembalian sekolah aliran Inggeris, ia patut menjadikannya sebagai perkara utama dengan memperuntukkan sepuluh peratus daripada belanjawannya,” kata pengerusi DAP Sarawak Chong Chieng Jen dalam satu sidang media.

September ini merupakan tahap akhir dalam perancangan belanjawan bagi tahun berikutnya, yang akan dibentangkan dalam sidang Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) November ini.

“Setakat ini, yang ada hanya cakap-cakap oleh Adenan tentang autonomi pendidikan. Tiada langkah konkrit, kecuali perbincangan demi perbincangan dengan Putrajaya.

“Perbincangan seumpama ini tidak akan habis (seperti soal 20 peratus royalti minyak dan gas). Pada masa masa saban tahun, generasi baru pelajar akan masuk ke dalam sistem,” kata Adun Kota Sentosa itu lagi.

“Demi generasi akan datang kita, sementara rundingan berjalan, kerajaan negeri patut mengambil inisiatif untuk memulakan agenda autonomi pendidikan dan pengembalian sekolah aliran Inggeris.

“Justeru peruntukan sepuluh peratus dalam belanjawan 2016 untuk soal pendidikan adalah cara yang paling sesuai untuk memulakannya,” katanya lagi.

Belanjawan tahunan negeri berjumlah kira-kira RM5 bilion, maka sepuluh peratus bermaksud RM500 juta.

Daripada peruntukan RM500 juta itu, sejumlah RM100 juta boleh digunakan untuk mewujudkan pusat latihan guru bagi melatih mereka menggunakan bahasa Inggeris sebagai medium pengajaran.

Pusat-pusat ini boleh melatih sekurang-kurangnya 2,000 guru dan keutamaan patut diberikan kepada pemegang ijazah pendidikan dari Universiti Tun Abdul Razak (Unitar) dan Universiti Industri Selangor (UNISEL).

Ini kerana para graduan ini telah diketepikan Kementerian Pendidikan yang enggan mengambil mereka untuk mengajar di sekolah kerajaan.

DAP juga menggesa penubuhan sekolah-sekolah swasta yang menggunakan bahasa Inggeris sebagai medium pengajaran. Sejumlah RM250 juta patut digunakan bagi membina sekolah ini dengan status swasta, tetapi dibiayai sepenuhnya oleh kerajaan negeri. Ini akan memberikan pendidikan percuma kepada anak-anak Sarawak.

Turut sama pentingnya adalah pewujudan jabatan pendidikan negeri yang akan bekerja ke arah autonomi penuh pendidikan di negeri ini. Sejumlah RM40 juta patut dikhususkan bagi tujuan ini.

Ini akan memastikan sistem pentadbiran kerajaan dipertingkatkan untuk mentadbir soal pendidikan, termasuk pelaksanaan bahasa Inggeris sebagai medium pengajaran di sebahagian sekolah, serta pewujudan task force untuk mengkaji dan merangka sukatan pelajaran baru bagi sekolah rendah dan menengah di Sarawak.

Rancangan DAP itu juga mencadangkan penubuhan Pusat Bahasa Dayak untuk mengkaji, memelihara dan terus membangunkan bahasa Iban dan bahasa etnik Dayak lain dan pada masa sama menaiktaraf infrastruktur sedia ada dan mempromosikan pembelajaran bahasa Iban di sekolah. Sejumlah RM30 juta sepatutnya cukup bagi tujuan ini.

Ia juga mencadangkan agar kerajaan negeri memperuntukkan kira-kira RM80 juta untuk dijadikan geran dan subsidi kepada sekolah rendah dan menengah Cina.

Sarawak tidak boleh bergantung kepada belanjawan persekutuan yang berjumlah RM253 bilion untuk tahun ini. Dari jumlah itu, RM56 bilion diperuntukkan kepada bidang pendidikan.

Daripada RM56 bilion ini, sejumlah RM4 bilion diperuntukkan kepada Sarawak. Ia antara lain bagi tujuan membayar gaji guru, membina dan menyenggara sekolah.

“Maka jika kerajaan negeri serius untuk ke arah autonomi pendidikan bagi negeri, kita perlu mula memperuntukkan belanjawan untuk mengendalikan sekolah kita sendiri. Sebagai permulaan, sepuluh peratus daripada belanjawan negeri adalah munasabah.

Kami menyeru Adenan, selaku Ketua Menteri dan Menteri Kewangan, untuk mengotakan janjinya.

“Jangan biarkan anak-anak kita menunggu secara sia-sia serta mengorbankan satu lagi generasi sementara menunggu hasil rundingan dengan kerajaan persekutuan,” kata Chong lagi.-The Ant Daily (Joseph Tawie)