September 18, 2010, Saturday
KUCHING: The federal government should ensure Sarawak has its fair share in the distribution of senior posts, including as ministers in the federal ministries, Dewan Rakyat deputy Speaker Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar urged.
He commented that while Sabah was seen as vocal in highlighting the issue as well as on the 20 points of agreement in forming Malaysia, Sarawak should not be left out just because it has been ‘quiet’.
“Now Sabah is given equitable treatment by having (more) members to be appointed in high positions in Peninsula (ministries)… but none for Sarawak.
“Please don’t forget Sarawak although (we are) quiet,” he said when met by reporters at Bandar Baru Semariang yesterday. He was asked to comment on Sabah’s 20 points and Sarawak’s 18-points of agreements which have become contentious issues in the respective states of late.
Wan Junaidi added while he was grateful for federal development funds worth billions of ringgit to Sarawak, he strongly believed that the state’s representation in the federal ministries was less than satisfactory.
“Don’t only look at Sabah (for the equitable treatment)… we also have 30 (parliamentary seats) in Sarawak,” he said, adding the state also has people who are qualified to sit on many high posts in the federal government. Wan Junaidi also called on the federal government to set aside a quota for both Sabah and Sarawak in job recruitment drives as to address the inequitable distribution of posts in the federal government. He pointed out that without a quota for the two states, fewer or no vacancies would be available for Sabahans and Sarawakians when the job recruitment drives were conducted in the two states.
“We have many smart Sarawakians… in fact in terms of the usage of English, we are better… why not look for Sarawakians who could be recruited for foreign services (instead of concentrating on the labour pool in Peninsular,” he said.
Earlier Wan Junaidi presented contributions from various organisations, including the Welfare Department, to three families whose houses were recently gutted in fire. One of the fire victims, former Borneo Post journalist Abang Salfian Abang Nawawi, also received some donation from his former colleagues in The Borneo Post and Utusan Borneo, handed over by Utusan Borneo reporter Adib Othman. Wan Junaidi’s wife Datin Feona who is also Kuching branch Malaysian Muslim Welfare Body (Perkim) honourary secretary, was also present.
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