Masing told to stop confusing people
Published on: Thursday, September 03, 2015
Kota Kinabalu: Sarawak Land Development Minister and Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) President Tan Sri James Masing should solve the embarrassing problem of Dayaks seeking employment in Singapore, instead of confusing the people with wrong statements about former premier Tun Dr Mahathir."At present, the island Republic does not allow Dayaks and Kadazans below 35 years to work there. It should be emphasised that this ban does not apply to other ethnic groups from Sabah and Sarawak," said former Chief Minister Tan Sri Harris Salleh in a statement, Wednesday.He added that others like Suluks, Bugis, Bajaus and Bruneis are allowed to work in Singapore, even if they are below 35 and so Singapore must have very good reasons for imposing the ban only on Dayaks and Kadazans in this age group.ADVERTISEMENT "This is embarrassing. Masing should be working on this issue rather than raise matters that he himself was a party to some 30 years ago," he said.Harris was commenting on Masing's statement recently that Sabah's Electoral Roll was tainted by Dr Mahathir. Masing was responding to Dr Mahathir's presence at the weekend Bersih Rally in Kuala Lumpur that was protesting for free and fair elections. "It is not true. As Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir was a busy man and had no time to involve in the day to day running of the government machinery. In any case, if the claim is true why was it not raised by the officials and elected representatives of Sarawak and Sabah or Masing himself at that time?"During his 22-year tenure as Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir enjoyed praise from all over the country including ADVERTISEMENT "As proof that Dr Mahathir did well by being fair and just to all, he won two-thirds majority in election after election, a feat no other Prime Minister after him had managed," he said.Harris maintained that the Electoral Roll all over the country is compiled in accordance with the law and every year when the rolls are updated, the Election Commission is required by law to exhibit them for two weeks to enable the public to scrutinise and raise objections, if any.
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"In Sabah, there were only few objections each time the revised voters or electoral rolls were exhibited. "Admittedly not everything is 100 per cent genuine in this world. Even in the United Kingdom and USA there were reported cases of government documents being used or given to people who are not qualified."This is also true in the case of people crossing the border from Kalimantan (Indonesia) into Sarawak and Sabah; it was reported that many thousands were given late registration Birth Certificates and thousands of them now hold genuine Malaysian Identity Cards," he said.Harris reminded that Sabah was ruled by a non-Muslim Chief Minister at least from 1985 to 1993 and if the then State Government had found that the Electoral Rolls were skewed to favour Muslim voters, they would have raised objections through the Government as well as Parliament.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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"If Dr Mahathir tampered with the Electoral Rolls of Sabah and Sarawak, then Masing himself must have been a party to it as he was very much part and parcel of both the Federal and State Governments at that time. To raise the issue after 30 years is just absurd." Harris said it is high time leaders stop making blind statements that mislead the public. Instead, they should instil confidence and positive thinking amongst the people, not sow doubts and mistrust.