MIRI – A major native-rights group in Sarawak has appealed to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to help pressure Sarawak government leaders to solve decades of problems.
They include unending floods, horrendous roads, poor infrastructure like broken bridges, dilapidated health and medical facilities and electricity and water supply issues suffered by a large population of rural Sarawakians.
Society for Rights of Indigenous Peoples of Sarawak (Scrips) today thanked Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah for the timely reminder that he had given to Sarawak and federal leaders during a state banquet to address the plights of the rural folks.
Scrips Northern Sarawak coordinator Michael Ding today said the King has demonstrated utmost royal wisdom in re-directing the attention of government leaders to the real issues affecting the ordinary rakyat.
He told The Vibes that many rural Sarawakians still without treated water supply and electricity. They are also suffering from increasing floods, deteriorating rural roads and poor infrastructure, and surging costs of living due to increased prices of essential items.
“We the natives of Sarawak thank the Agong for the message that his Majesty had conveyed to the state and federal leaders to go to the ground and solve the grievances of the ordinary rakyat in rural Sarawak.
“This royal instruction from the King should make the ruling government leaders sit up and focus on what are the critical issues affecting us ordinary people of Sarawak.
“Our flood woes are increasing by the year, our rural roads are getting from bad to worse.
“The rural health and medical facilities are still in bad shape, and so too are the rural schools.
“We hope that one day soon the King will travel extensively into rural Sarawak and see for himself the harsh problems we have had to live with for decades which the ruling state government has not effectively addressed,” he said.
Ding is a native of the minority Lakiput ethnic group.
His longhouse is located in the upper reaches of Sungai Tutoh in the Baram district about five hours traveling by road and river from Miri city.
His longhouse is one of dozens of populated settlements in Baram besieged by flood woes numerous times a year.
Ding hoped that the GPS state government would obey the royal instruction from the King to effectively address the grouses of the ordinary rakyat.
The King had told leaders of the state government of Sarawak and federal leaders in Putrajaya to do more to improve the life of the rural folks in Sarawak.
The Agong, at a state banquet two nights ago, said he had personally heard grouses from rural folks who did not even have basic amenities such as treated water supplies.
“The state government and federal government need to do more to improve the life of the rural folks.
“There are still many who do not even have the very basic of amenities.
“I visited a place (along the Pan Borneo Highway in Serian district) where there was no treated water.
“I have received letters and heard grouses from many folks who are still living in difficult conditions.
“I promise to help do my best to look into their plights.
“I hope that all the YBs (state assembly representatives and members of Parliament) will visit their constituents on the ground and look into these grievances.
“Go to the Rakyat and address their problems,” he had said at the state banquet in Kuching which was attended by GPS leaders including Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg and state ministers.
The King said his tour of the Pan Borneo Highway routes in Sabah and Sarawak since September 3 has been very useful.
It had allowed him to see for himself the on-the-ground conditions of the regions where the highway passes through.
The King stressed that developing a state is a shared responsibility between the state government and the federal government.
“Both state and federal leaders must work in unison.
“The state and national leaders must meet often to address the grievances of the rakyat,” he had said.
The royal family had ended their tour of the Pan Borneo Highway covering some 2,145km across east Malaysia and Brunei.
The King and Queen and royal family returned to Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
It is still not confirmed if the Agong will grace the Malaysia Day grand celebration in Kuching on Saturday. – The Vibes, September 14, 2023
