Gag order in Assembly is a regressive act

13Friday

November 27, 2006 15:53 PM     

No Room For Personal Attacks And Wild Allegations In State Assembly


KUCHING, Nov 27 (Bernama) -- Making personal attacks and wild allegations should not be the norm, elected representatives attending the state assembly sitting here were reminded Monday.

State Environment and Public Health Minister Datuk Michael Manyin said that although the august House gave its members immunity and freedom of speech, they must always respect its decorum and not turn the proceedings into a circus.

"As responsible Yang Berhormat, we should not criticise or oppose just for the sake of criticising but should be constructive in our criticisms and provide better options or alternatives," he said in his winding-up speech on the Supply (2007) Bill in the state assembly.

He said any decision made or action to be taken should be viewed in the proper perspective and local context, with no ethnic group, however small, considered as insignificant in the state's strife to achieve Vision 2020 in tandem with the other states.

On the transboundary haze which severely hit Sarawak in July-October this year, he said it required a strong commitment and concerted effort from within the country and among neighbouring countries, particularly Indonesia, to tackle the problem.

He said the concern over the haze was not without justification as the resulting air quality degradation had subsequent adverse impact on the environment, and health and well-being of the people. He cited the unprecedented haze situation experienced in September 1997 and early 1998 as a very good example of such environmental disaster.

Given the expected massive development of plantations in the coming years, Manyin said, the state government would continue to encourage the implementation of the zero-burning policy, particularly among the planters.

It should also provide certain investment incentives to implement such a policy and encourage greater utilisation of timber waste from the plantations, he added.

Meanwhile, Second Minister of Planning and Resources Management Datuk Seri Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said the government had always adopted a humane policy towards Sarawakians genuinely in need of land for farming but would never pay compensation to those occupying state land.

Referring to allegations by Wong Ho Leng (DAP-Bukit Assek) that the government was harassing those farming in the Pujut/Lopeng Youth Settlement Scheme in Miri, he said the settlers had been occupying state land for over 30 years without paying annual land rent or premium.

He said initially, when the government requested them to vacate the land to enable facilities to be built there, the settlers refused to move and instead requested for the land to be alienated to them free of premium or compensation at RM242,000 per acre.

For the 13 acres each settler was claiming, the government would have to pay over RM3 million, he said.

"The government is disappointed that this issue is raised again in this august House after the courts had given their judgments in the claims by the settlers. It appears that they are attempting to achieve through political means what they have failed to get through the judicial process."

The government was not convinced that the 24 persons concerned had fully developed the land, which was required for public purposes in view of its proximity to the city, into coconut and padi farms as originally planned, he said, adding that some of them, who had settled there in the 1970's, had been relocated elsewhere.

-- BERNAMA