As it turns out, lamented Chong, Sarawak now has two Iban DCM but no Bidayuh DCM. “The Bidayuh community has been taken for a ride by the BN.”
Chong, who is also Kota Sentosa assemblyman and Bandar Kuching MP, wants to know why two Iban were appointed DCM but no Bidayuh was given that position despite the fact that BN won all Bidayuh state seats. “If James Masing holds to what he says, then he should honourably resign his DCM seat to give way to a Bidayuh to replace him,” he reiterated.
The DAP Sarawak Chief was commenting on Masing’s reasoning for the non-appointment of a Chinese Deputy Chief Minister. “He said that the BN did not win all Chinese seats.”
“This shows a total lack of respect of the constitutional rights of Sarawakians to vote freely as provided under the Constitution.”
Again, stressed Chong, if Masing’s statement was to stand, then there should not be any Iban DCM at all. “He claimed that only if BN wins all Chinese seats that there can be a Chinese DCM.”
“He forgot that BN lost Krian, an Iban seat, on May 7. It won all Bidayuh and Malay seats.”
The Chinese community is angry and disappointed not because there was no DCM for them, said Chong. “We have lived five years without a DCM and life goes on.”
“The Chinese community is angry and disappointed because they felt cheated and betrayed by Adenan Satem and BN.”
Adenan knowingly led the Chinese community to believe that should Sim Hui Kan win in Batu Kawah, he alleged, the SUPP Chief would be appointed DCM. “The entire SUPP campaign was about regaining a DCM for the Chinese community.”
“It’s most dishonourable now that after the elections, and Sim having won in Batu Kawah, Adenan turned around and denied having made such promise.”
In fact, for the Chinese community, it does not matter much whether it has a Chinese DCM or otherwise, assured Chong. “This is because over the past years, it was the so-called Chinese DCM who failed the Chinese community.”
“During the time when there was a Chinese DCM, land lease renewal problems could not be resolved, UEC was not even ‘half’ recognised, there was no allocation for Chinese education and corruption scandals were swept under the carpet.”
It was only when there was no Chinese DCM after 2011 that at least the Chinese schools received some allocation, reminded Chong. “The present hue and cry about the non-appointment of a Chinese DCM was more an issue about the BN and Adenan, in particular, failing to honour election promises.”