Debate Speech on 21st March, 2012 by Wong Ho Leng, MP for
Sibu, on Motion to appreciate the King’s Speech
I wish to raise a few issues in this august House:
1. Security
Security is a big problem in Sibu. On 20.10.2011, a father, his son and his
daughter-in-law were brutally murdered at their house in Bawang Assan, Sibu. His
wife was injured and faked dead to escape murder. On 10.12.2011 a young lady was
murdered while waiting to cross the Igan River in Sibu. On 11.1.2012 a
businessman was killed when shopping. These crimes remained unsolved. On
3.1.2012, a family of 4 were murdered by their neighbor who climbed over the
ceiling because there was no partition wall between the terraced houses. That is
the only murder that was solved.
On 13th March 2012, a cleaner was beaten unconscious and gang
raped in a bus near a school and bus terminal in Pelawan, Sibu.
Burglary, robberies, and vehicle thefts have increased in Sibu. But not all
cases had been reported to the police, because the public do not have confidence
in the police. Many elderly Chinese went to lodge police reports but they cannot
speak Bahasa Malaysia. The police cannot understand them, and they cannot
understand the police. It is just like chicken talking to ducks.
This is not a problem in Sibu alone. It happens in
other police stations in Bintulu, Miri, and Kuching where there are no
multi-lingual police officers manning the counters. I appeal to the Government
to station more multi-lingual police in these towns in Sarawak.
The people in Sibu are complaining that the police in Sibu are unable to
protect them. To be fair to them, even if the police are doing their best, they
can’t do much if they do not have sufficient manpower to investigate and solve
crimes.
Very often I have received complaints that the police refused to receive
reports. This is unacceptable.
I have also received complaints that victims of crimes have been discouraged
from making reports of thefts and robberies. They were asked to report
accidental loss only. This is unacceptable. This is not the way to show that
crime is not serious in Sibu.
I urge the federal Government to increase police manpower in Sibu. We want
police who are honest and hard-working. We don’t want police who lied that Sibu
is “no-gangster town”. This story is untrue.
We want clean police in Malaysia. On 14th March, 2012, the
Inspector-General of Police said that only 1% of policemen are taking bribes.
This is the greatest joke of 2012. We all know that there are police who are
demanding for kopi-o even on road sides in broad day light. Although there are
honest police, there are many more dishonest and corrupt police. The people have
nowhere to complain. That is why we complain that the BN Government has failed
the people by not establishing the IPCMC which was suggested by the Royal
Commission of Inquiry on the Police. I appeal to the Government not to allow
corruption continue in our country.
2. Health Services
While his whole family was murdered, a little boy survived. Kelvin Ling was
badly injured on his head. He could have lost his life too because there was no
neurosurgeon in Sibu Hospital to operate on him. His life was saved only because
he was flown in time to Kuching General Hospital by a private helicopter. We
wonder why the Government cannot provide a reliable helicopter service in the
event of emergency.
I agree with many in Sibu who complained that Hospital Sibu is 3rd
class.
I urge the federal government to upgrade Hospital Sibu. Hospital Sibu caters
for more than half a million people in Sibu and the hinterland of the Rejang
River like Kapit, Belaga, Song, Kanowit, Bintangor and Sarikei. It is unfair for
patients to have to wait for treatment. Some had died from waiting, just because
there are insufficient specialists and surgeons. The federal government should
employ more specialists and neurosurgeons in Hospital Sibu.
Those admitted to Hospital should be well looked after both by the doctors,
nurses and their families. But many patients and their families have complained
that the wards in Hospital Sibu are hot and uncomfortable.
The Government should look into improving the condition there.
Those admitted to Hospital require family members to take care of them. But
there is insufficient parking space at the Hospital compound. There is also no
place to accommodate family members who come from outstation. At any one time we
can see that there are always not less than 40 family members sprawling on the
floor on the corridors, sleeping on cardboards and old newspapers.
The Government should provide accommodation near Hospital Sibu for visiting
families from outstation. Visitation by family members must be encouraged.
I also take this opportunity to talk about the health services in Lawas. I am
given to understand that the condition in Lawas hospital is deplorable and cases
have been brought to court for negligence of doctors which had resulted in
death. A case in point is Kam Agong who died in 2002 at the age of 44 because of
medical negligence when she gave birth to her 8th child.
Saya difahamkan bahawa Hospital Daerah Lawas dibina pada 16.5.1969 dan adalah
bangunan yang tertua di Lawas. Pada 1999, JKR mengisytiharkan Hospital tersebut
tidak selamat lagi diduduki sebab sudah uzur. Pembinaan sebuah hospital baru
telah dicadangkan dalam RMK-7 (1996-2000) dan diluluskan dalam RMK-8
(2001-2005). Sekarang sudah masuk RMK-10 dan sudah 16 tahun berlalu. Pada
26.3.2011 Menteri Perancangan dan Pengurusan Sumber di Sarawak Datuk Amar Awang
Tengah Ali mengumumkan yang sebuah hospital baru bernilai RM80 juta akan di bina
di Lawas dan kerja-kerja pembinaan akan bermula akhir tahun lepas. Pada
15.4.2011 Menteri Kesihatan membuat pengumuman yang RM121.6 juta akan
diperuntukan untuk membina hospital baru di Lawas. Tetapi tiada apa apa kerja
yang telah dimulakan setakat ini. Yang anehnya, yang dibina adalah sebuah hotel
di Lawas, Hotel Seri Malaysia.
It is scandalous that instead of building a hospital, a hotel was built.
Can
the Government explain why? Is the Ministry of Health not able to tell the
difference between a hotel and a hospital?
3. Chinese Education
Education is an important bulwark to national development. Malaysia is a
multi-racial country, and the right to receive education in one’s mother tongue
is a constitutional as well as a universal human right.
I am given to understand that 29 headmasters, 39 assistant headmasters and
287 teachers who do not have Chinese qualifications are sent to serve in Chinese
Primary Schools in Sarawak. Most of these teachers did not even pass UPSR’s
Chinese subjects.
This cannot be right. The Government must ensure that headmasters who are
sent to serve in Chinese primary schools must pass the Chinese subject in
SPM.
With headmasters and teachers not knowing Chinese, it is no wonder that I
have received frequent complaints that some headmasters had been discouraging
students from taking Chinese subjects, or even if they do, not to sit for exams
for fear that they will pull down the school results. This has become a serious
problem in many schools in Sarawak and the education ministry must look into it
to right a wrong to the Chinese community.
The practice of sending teachers without Chinese qualification to Chinese
Primary Schools will severely affect the teaching standards and administration
of these schools. It is not conducive to educational development, especially
when it is well accepted that Chinese schools contribute tremendously to
national development.
The fact that there are 355 teachers who are non-Chinese qualified are
teaching in Chinese schools means that there is a shortage of this number of
teaching staff in Sarawak. The Government should rectify this situation
immediately.
Also, there are clerks and administrative officers in Chinese schools who
cannot speak Chinese. This is unacceptable because that prevents parents from
communicating with them.
Also, the Government has recently recognised qualifications from 146
universities from China. This is good news.
I understand that these Universities in China recognize the Unified
Examination Certificates (UEC) results for the purpose of admission. So, can I
know, why should the Government not recognize UEC?
Many people take it that the practice of sending non-Chinese qualified
teachers to Chinese schools is a way of the BN to marginalize Chinese education.
Should that be the case, why should we be talking “1Malaysia”?
It is time for the BN Government to know what exactly does the Chinese
want.
Our country has 1294 Chinese Primary schools. 222 of them are in Sarawak. I
believe it is only fair for Sarawakians to demand that 20% of education
allocations be provided to Chinese primary schools in Sarawak.
4. Suppression and Oppression of People
It is time that the BN Leaders repent from being bullies of the people.
This House has heard of the letter from Assistant Minister of Sarawak Mong
Dagang recommending that an OKU Frusis Lebi be stripped off his welfare and
agricultural aids on the ground that he had supported the opposition.
We have also seen that Senior Minister of Sarawak James Masing support
Mong Dagang, even threatening the people, “jangan lawan towkay”.
This is a clear case of the BN leaders oppressing and suppressing the people.
What is disgusting is that even OKU and ignorant rural folks are not spared by
the brutal acts of BN leaders.
I want the PM to tell us whether it is the BN’s practice to bully, oppress
and suppress the people who do not support Government policies.
A few days before the Sarawak state election of 2011, Wong Soon Koh, who is a
SUPP leader and Senior Minister in Sarawak, told Sibu folks that after the Sibu
by-election defeat of the BN, the PM had considered stopping the Sibu airport
extension project.
We all know that the PM uttered the most notorious “you help me I help You”
statement in the Sibu by-election. Can we know from the PM himself whether he
did threaten Sibu folks in this manner?
I have also known that fertilizer subsidies had been withdrawn from farmers
who used to be SUPP members on the ground that they have now gone to support the
Opposition.
The people have freedom to vote for candidates of their choice. This is a
right under the constitution. The people are tax payers. The welfare monies and
agricultural subsidies come from the people, not from the BN leaders or from the
PM. We have heard ‘Rakyat didahulukan’. This has totally no meaning now when BN
leaders can cut welfare aids and agricultural subsidies at their whim and
fancy.
The rhetoric “rakyat didahulukan” sounds dreadfully hollow, because the BN
Ministers are even cutting assistance to the disabled.
“Rakyat didahulukan” is a rhetoric because the BN leaders are now saying that
BN leaders are the towkays. The BN Government ought to be ashamed of this.
Wong Soon Koh had also told Sibu folks that the flood mitigation project was
almost stopped because of the by-election loss. He also threatened that should
he lose the 2011 state election, all development projects will stop.
This is the
political culture of samseng. I am sure that the PM is aware of this.
Is the PM condoning all these? If not, why was no action taken against his
Ministers?
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