Dr. Georgte Chan has underestimated the political intelligence of the people of Bintulu thinking that they do not know the difference between the jurisdictions of Federal and Sarawak State Governments


Speech
by Lim Kit Siang

(Bintulu, Wednesday): SUPP Chairman and Deputy Chief Minister, Datuk Dr. George Chan came to the Kidurong by-election and announced that the Sarawak State Government had approved the establishment of the second Bintulu Chung Hua School and that the SUPP would be responsible for raising RM1 million for the new school building fund.

Dr. George Chan has underestimated the political intelligence of the people of Bintulu thinking that they do not know the difference between the jurisdictions of Federal and Sarawak State Governments.

However, I believe everyone in Bintulu knows that education is a federal matter and no more within the purview of the Sarawak state government and it is for the Federal Government and the Education Minister to decide whether approval should be given for the establishment of the second Bintulu Chung Hua School and not the Sarawak State Government or the Sarawak Chief Minister, unless Tan Sri Taib Mahmud takes over as Education Minister!

All that the Sarawak State Government could do is to approve a piece of land for the purpose of building the second Bintulu Chung Hua School, but this does not mean that approval has been given by the Federal Government for the building of the second Bintulu Chung Hua School.

If Dr. George Chan is not to be guilty of irresponsible politics and misleading the voters of Kidurong in the by-election this weekend, then he must get the Education Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to announce publicly within the next 24 hours that the Education Ministry has received Cabinet approval for the establishment of the second Bintulu Chung Hua School.

In any event, the statement by Dr. George Chan that the SUPP would be responsible for raising the RM1 million for the new school building fund is also very strange.

When Dr. George Chan said that the SUPP would be responsible for raising RM1 million, it is clear that he meant that the SUPP would be responsible for organising fund-raising activities to raise this RM1 million from the people of Bintulu!

. Why can�t this RM1 million come from the coffers of the Federal and Sarawak State Governments, as they are taxpayers� money and it is a most appropriate expenditure to spend them on education. Otherwise, let the SUPP tycoons contribute the RM1 million, which should be a easy target for them, without further burderning the people of Bintulu.

(22/10/97)


*Lim Kit Siang - Malaysian Parliamentary Opposition Leader, Democratic Action Party Secretary-General & Member of Parliament for Tanjong