Soo says Dapsy Sarawak had immediately amended the design once the issue was raised to ensure the Premier’s image was clearly visible.
KUCHING (June 26): The poster layout issue criticised by Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Youth was an inadvertent oversight that has since been corrected, said Democratic Action Party Socialist Youth (Dapsy) Sarawak deputy chief Soo Tien Ren.
Responding to PBB Youth’s accusation that the movement had disrespected Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg by obscuring his image in a social media post on the Bintulu Port acquisition, Soo said the layout was never intended to mock or disrespect any leader.
He said Dapsy Sarawak had immediately amended the design once the issue was raised to ensure the Premier’s image was clearly visible.
“While a picture can be corrected, facts must not be distorted. Since PBB Youth was most concerned about whether the individuals in the picture were clearly shown, now that the design has been amended, PBB Youth should also show the same sincerity by acknowledging that the return of Bintulu Port to Sarawak was the result of cooperation between the federal and Sarawak governments,” he said in a statement.
PBB Youth had earlier today criticised Dapsy Sarawak, alleging disrespect towards the Premier in social media posts related to the Sarawak government’s acquisition of Bintulu Port.
PBB Youth information chief Royston Valentine said photos posted on DAP Sarawak’s Facebook page had allegedly obscured an image of Abang Johari during a recent cheque handover from the Sarawak government to the federal government as part of the port acquisition exercise.
Soo maintained that DAP Sarawak and Dapsy Sarawak have consistently recognised the contributions of both governments, adding that the port’s return was the result of Sarawak’s long-standing pursuit of its Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) rights, continuous negotiations by the Sarawak government, public support for greater autonomy, and the federal government’s willingness to facilitate the process.
“I had already stated in my earlier statement that the Sarawak government has its efforts, and the federal government also has its role.
“This is not about claiming credit, but about respecting facts,” he said.
Soo questioned whether PBB Youth would deny the federal government’s role in facilitating the transfer, noting that Bintulu Port had remained under federal control for decades under Barisan Nasional (BN) rule despite both federal and Sarawak governments being under the same coalition at various times.
He said Bintulu Port was declared a federal port in 1979 and the Bintulu Port Authority was established in 1981, but successive BN administrations did not return control of the port to Sarawak.
Soo also pointed out that during the administrations of former prime ministers Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, when Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) was part of the federal government, the transfer likewise did not materialise.
He said it was only under the present Unity Government, through negotiations between the Pakatan Harapan-led federal government and the Sarawak government, that the process of converting Bintulu Port from a federal port into a state port was completed, involving negotiations, valuation, legislation and transfer.
“They may use the phrase ‘bought back with RM1.8 billion’ to deny the role of the federal government, but they cannot deny one fact: during the BN and Perikatan Nasional (PN) administrations, there was not even the political will to allow Sarawak to begin the process of negotiation, valuation, legislation and transfer,” he said.
Soo said the agreed RM1.8 billion valuation reflected an institutional arrangement jointly negotiated, assessed and accepted by both federal and state governments, and should not be dismissed as wasteful public spending.
He added that Bintulu Port was developed under a federal legal framework and managed by the federally established Bintulu Port Authority, making negotiations over assets, regulatory powers, operational arrangements, legal responsibilities and valuation necessary before the transfer could be completed.
He stressed that Dapsy Sarawak had never denied the Sarawak government’s efforts or the long-standing struggle of Sarawakians in pursuing MA63 rights.
At the same time, he said equal recognition should also be given to the federal government, Transport Minister Anthony Loke and the Unity Government for facilitating the legislation, institutional transfer and implementation of the port’s return.
“When the Sarawak government’s efforts deserve recognition, we recognise them. When the federal government’s role in facilitating implementation deserves acknowledgement, we will not pretend not to see it,” he said.
He added that Sarawak did not belong to any single political party, and the public had the right to know the full facts surrounding the return of Bintulu Port, as well as to expect both federal and state governments to continue delivering on MA63 commitments and Sarawak’s rights.
