Sarawak DAP has urged Chief Minister of Sarawak Adenan Satem to implement four polices if he is serious about being a role model for his cabinet ministers, as some of them have been tainted with allegations of corruption, abuse of power and cronyism.

Adenan, who took over as chief minister on Feb 28, 2014, had retained all cabinet members appointed by  Abdul Taib Mahmud.

 

Sarawak DAP chief Chong Chieng Jen said: "While it is commendable for Adenan Satem to take the initiative to forbid his immediate family members from applying for state land and logging licences, such move towards anti-nepotism will only be effective if Adenan were to implement the following four policies, namely:

1. It should not be him alone making such move, but that all his cabinet ministers and assistant ministers must also be directed not to have their immediate family members involved in application of state land and logging licences.

2. Subject to the cases of land lease renewal and alienation of land for genuine public purposes like education, health, roads and charity, all alienation of state land must be subject to public tender process which will generate maximum benefit to the state.

3. All awards of logging licences and government contracts must be subject to public tender.

4. All the state ministers, assistant ministers and their immediate family members must make public declaration of assets regularly. 

"After decades of rampant nepotism in Sarawak where hundreds of thousands of hectares of state land have been alienated to the Sarawak BN political leaders’ family members, Adenan’s such announcement gives a glimmer of hope for good governance in Sarawak," said Chong, who is the MP for Bandar Kuching and state assemblyperson for Kota Sentosa.

 

He added that Adenan must always take note that it is important that he, as the chief minister, should set the example and more importantly, his cabinet must emulate him. 

 

"Besides, there must be a system and written policy drawn up for the implementation of transparent, clean and good governance. 

 

"The test for Adenan is whether he is alone or backed by all his BN members in the combat against nepotism in Sarawak," he said.

 

'Alone amongst his colleagues'

Chong was commenting on a recent statement made by Adenan who told the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission that he would not allow his immediate  members to apply for state land and logging licences.

 

However he said it seemed that he was alone amongst his colleagues.

 

"None of his other cabinet ministers have come out openly to support his announcment or to follow suit," he noted.

 

Chong did not name any of the ministers and assistant ministers whose family members allegedly had been given government contracts, timber licences and large areas of state land as well as native customary rights land for the planting of oil palm and other projects under 33 years of Taib's administration.

 

Taib himself has been subjected to allegations of abuse of power and several reports had been lodged against him with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, while some of the companies said to be owned by BN cronies and family members have been sued by the natives for encroaching into their NCR land.