PSB president urges PM Anwar to repeal 'unconstitutional laws' that took away Sarawak's rights
KUCHING, Dec 17 — Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) president Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh today urged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to repeal all “unconstitutional laws” which took away Sarawak’s rights enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
He said foremost are the Continental Shelf Act 1966, Territorial Sea Act 2012, Petroleum Development Act 1974 and Act 354 passed in 1976 that practically removed all the entrenched MA63 rights.
“The national unity government led by Anwar must be a government for all irrespective of race, religion and the country must be governed with transparency and accountability,” Wong told reporters after chairing the PSB’s presidential council meeting here.
Wong, who is a former Second Minister of Finance and e-Commerce, also urged Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government to emulate the unity government by doing away with any form of political patronage in appointing chairmen and board members of government-linked companies and statutory bodies.
“This is to ensure more transparency, accountability and good governance,” he said, adding that the GPS government must ensure that all government projects must go through proper tendering processes before implementation.
On the council's meeting, the first since last month’s 15th general election, Wong said it discussed and mapped out strategies to move forward.
“We are going to groom young party leaders, both men and women, to play leadership roles and to get them ready for the next state election,” he said.
Wong, 81, said he will remain as the party president for the time being.
“You know in western democracies, for example in the United Kingdom and Australia, when a party suffers heavy defeat in an election, the president has to go or resign.
“I should submit (resignation letter), but at this stage, I am duty-bound to get the party together and try to groom more leaders before I can leave the scene.
“But for the time being, I am still around together with secretary-general Baru Bian and deputy president Johnical Rayong,” he said.
Wong said PSB, despite losing in all the 10 seats it contested in GE15, will not be discouraged by the setback.
“We did not win any seat, but we learned a great deal from our first outing,” he said, adding that in Lubok Antu, its candidate Johnical Rayong, lost by a small margin.
He said the party will file a court case to nullify the result of the Lubok Antu election.
