Why are villagers depending on rain for free drinking water?
By Priscilla Watson, Free Malaysia Today
BINTULU: Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim was stumped when villagers in Ba’ Kelalan told him that they waited for rain to get free drinking water.
“I’m in shock… (Chief Minister) Taib (Mahmud) has been in the office for 30 years and has enriched himself and members of his family while the people of Sarawak still living in poverty,” he said.
Relating his recent visit to Ba ’Kelalan in Lawas Division, he said he was impressed with huge parcels of lands in the area that were planted with oil palm.
“Some of these (oil) palm trees were planted right in front of the villagers’ doorsteps. I thought the villagers were rich.
“I was shocked to be told by the villagers that the lands did not belong to them but to Planning and Resource Management Minister, Awang Tengah Ali Hassan,” added PKR’s de facto leader.
He said he could not imagine how a leader could amass the wealth to himself alone without giving consideration to the people of his constituency.
“In Selangor which is now under Pakatan government, its citizens are enjoying free pipe-water for consumption, washing and bathing.
“I want the people of Sarawak to voice out ‘Enough is Enough’.
“If we win this election, Pakatan will go on to take Putrajaya,” he vowed, adding that the Dayaks would then not have to depend on rain for free drinking water.
Huge crowd at ceramah
Anwar said Sarawakians must wake up to the realization that the future of the state lies in their hands and not in the hands of Taib and his cronies.
