Bian: I only saw line-up 10 minutes before announcement
Sarawak DAP’s unilateral decision to form a shadow cabinet has punctured trust levels within the Pakatan Rakyat coalition.
(Free Malaysia Today) – Simmering discontent over the shadow cabinet issue has triggered an outburst from a normally passive Baru Bian who revealed that he only “saw the line-up about 10 minutes” before Sarawak DAP chairman Wong Ho Leng announced it to the media.
“The first time I saw the line-up was at about 1.20 pm, 10 minutes before the 1.30 pm scheduled press conference which was sent to me by (aide) Vernon Kedit vide my blackberry,” said Bian.
Bian, who is Sarawak PKR chief, said there had been “no proper discussion and consultation’ on the formation of the shadow cabinet after the April 16 state election.
“As to the recent announcement of the proposed line-up of the shadow cabinet, I wish to put the record straight and reiterate our position that no proper discussion and prior consultation had been done between Pakatan Rakayat (members) before the announcement on May 1, 2011,” he said.
Bian was referring to Wong’s announcement last Sunday of a shadow cabinet line-up after meeting with PKR’s vice president John Tenewi Nuek, former Wanita chief Ibi Anak Uding and Vernon Kedit, Bian’s special assistant.
Under the line-up Bian was given the responsibility of monitoring ‘Land Development and NCR Affairs’ while Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How would look into Tourism, Heritage and Environment. and Krian representative Ali Biju, was assigned to the Religious Affairs and National Unity.
Include PAS
Bian said while PKR was, from the begining, fully supportive of the idea of forming a shadow cabinet, the line-up needed to be discussed to ‘reflect proportional representation”.
“We need to sit down and discuss it. For example, giving the religious affairs and national unity portfolio to Ali Biju is not proper, and Ali is not comfortable with it.
“Religious affairs are a very sensitive subject and we suggest inviting a Pas representative to come in and head the portfolio,” he added.
Bian, who is the assemblyman for Ba’Kelalan, said that the three PKR elected representatives should also be given more portfolios in order to present a balance representation of the Bumiputera communities in the assembly.
“If I may humbly state that from our perspective the current proposed line-up does not reflect the proportional representation of the Muslim and non-Muslim Bumiputera majority in Sarawak vis-a-vis the portfolios proposed by DAP.
“As such, it would be expedient to redress this imbalance and to review the matter at the next Pakatan Rakyat state council meeting.
“This is because it would lead to a more open and responsible government as both parties on the political divide would be encouraged to discharge their respective duties as the people’s representatives with a sense of purpose, commitment and pride.
“True democracy will flourish to a new political height in Sarawak and Malaysia in general,” he said.
Line-up’s imbalance
He added that a shadow cabinet should be effective as the “public would expect nothing less” from their elected representatives.
“We have to look at the present government portfolios and then you mirror the government ministers.
“That is what we mean by shadowing the ministers.
“I don’t know whether the full cabinet list has been announced,” he said.
There is much speculation that Chief Minister Taib Mahmud will only announce his new state cabinet in June-July. The new State Legislative Assembly will have its first sitting in the new term in June.
Touching on the line-ups ‘imbalance’, Bian said going by the results of the recent state election DAP had basically taken the Chinese areas.
““As such, it would be expedient to redress this imbalance and to review the matter at the next state council meeting.
“Nevertheless, we do not want to dwell on the past but it is imperative that we move forward.
