Is this Anwar & Azmin’s Promised “Autonomy” For Sarawak?

KUALA LUMPUR, March 5 — PKR deputy president Azmin Ali has told Sarawak National Party (SNAP) to subscribe to Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) policies if it wanted its demands accommodated in seat negotiations for the coming state polls. 

What are PR’s policies, poll manipulation like seen in the recent PKR polls? What does PKR or PR know or care about Sarawak, other than as a stepping stone to Putrajaya? Why should a pure Sarawakian party like SNAP have to subscribe to PKR or PR’s Malayo-centric policies which are totally irrelevant to Sarawak?

 

This is exactly what Malayans don’t understand about Sarawak and why PKR/PR is so short-sighted. Sarawakians, no matter what the rhetoric of their politics, don’t regard fellow Sarawakians as enemies in the manner that Malayans do their fellow Malayans who may be of differing political opinions or parties. 

To a large measure, this kind of polarisation of Sarawak politics was fostered by the Malayans and taken full advantage of by Taib and his cronies in a completely non-Sarawakian way totally alien to Sarawakians.

All Sarawakians know this and do not wish to see a repeat, whether by BN or PKR/PR. Is this so difficult for Malayans to understand?

SNAP must and will remain independent, even if pro-opposition. In the face of the colonial mindset of Malayans like Anwar and Azmin, this is imperative. Who else will remain to protect the interests of Sarawak and Sarawakians if all opposition parties were to subscribe to policies of PKR/PR that are not beneficial to Sarawak and Sarawakians?

“They should not discuss matters with rivals. They have done it quite in the open, too, and we are sending a strong message to them that if you want to be a part of PR, then certainly you have to adhere to our policies,” he told The Malaysian Insider yesterday.

Sarawakians do not hide things like the Malayans do. Those who are our rivals today may not be our rivals tomorrow. Which Sarawakian (let alone those in SNAP) gives a flying pig’s arse about Azmin’s “strong message”? He can shove it where the sun doesn’t shine! (With Sarawak Headhunter’s unrepentant apologies for the “strong” language).

Azmin added that once SNAP was willing to establish its commitment to PR, the pact would be willing to “accommodate” the party’s demands in seat negotiations for the impending state polls.

All Azmin’s talk of “accomodation” is mere hypocrisy and a sheer lie. What happened to the promises of “autonomy” for Sarawak and Sabah? Begin NOW! There should be no comment or interference from Anwar or Azmin. Let the State leadership of PKR/PR decide. 

Rumours have placed Sarawak’s next state elections as early as the first week of April with talk that Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud will likely dissolve the state assembly by March 19.

The Sarawak government’s mandate expires in July this year.

“But they have to decide… then, we can accommodate. Then, we are open to discussions,” he said.

Actually, it’s the other way around. Show some sincerity and less hypocrisy and maybe SNAP will be more open to discussions and more amenable to cooperate.

The Sarawak-based SNAP, PR’s newest ally in the east Malaysian state, and the coalition’s three core parties of PKR, DAP and PAS, are believed to have reached a deadlock in negotiations over how to divide the 71 state seats up for grabs among themselves in the looming contest.

This is only because of interference from the Malayans. Does anyone think that even Najib/UMNO or the Federal BN will dare to interfere with Sarawak BN’s (Taib’s) choice of candidates? Why should the Sarawak PR opposition have to listen to any Malayan then? Are Malayans the masters of Sarawakians and are Sarawakians their slaves? 

The Malaysian Insider understands that PKR hopes to take the lion’s share by fielding 52 candidates while SNAP is now demanding to contest in at least 30 constituencies, up two seats from the previous 28 it had contested during the 2006 polls.

DAP is seeking to field 20 candidates while PAS is content with about four or five seats.

Even accommodating the bulk of SNAP’s requests (not demands as mischievously put by The Malaysian Insider) say up to 26 seats, PKR will have at least 22 seats, DAP 20 seats and PAS should not have more than 3 to contest, if winnability is to be the main factor.

Of these seats, Sarawak Headhunter predicts the outcome to be 37:34, whether in favour of PR or BN, with up to 8 seats which can go either way. DAP may win up to 12 seats, PAS 1 or 2, PKR 11 and SNAP 12, (total 36 or 37) giving a very bare majority for PR to govern.

But Azmin also stressed that negotiations would be based on consensus among all four PR parties and focus would be on the “winnability” of the candidates.

This “consensus” must not be forced upon Sarawak by Malaya.

“We have to look at the seats and at the candidates. There must be a formula for winnability because this is of paramount importance to us in the elections,” he reasoned.

Azmin revealed that he would be flying to Sarawak today to meet with local PR leaders on the issue.

“There are presently some overlapping seats and we need to discuss this. This will be the main agenda of my meeting with the state leadership and hopefully, I will be able to bring back some good news to the PR leadership.

“What is important is that we are able to conclude this whole exercise quickly and amicably,” he said.

Hopefully more amicably than the PKR polls.
 

Azmin, however, claimed that his presence in Sarawak was not to dictate terms to the state leadership but to obtain feedback to update PR’s national leadership.

Ya lah tu!

“We always try as much as we can not to intervene in their process, but of course, certainly we will have a role to play if there is an overlap in any seat.

You don’t have any role to play, period!

“Then, we will provide assistance and advice,” he said.

Who believes this guy?