Despite the Pakatan Harapan government making the move to devolve power to the states, the Sarawak state government is proving a stumbling black, said a state DAP MP.

“In order for us to devolve power to the state, the state must agree to accept it.

“We have made the offer not just once, with even the leadership of Pakatan Harapan Sarawak personally delivering the agreement to the Chief Minister's Office, which includes all the BN Sarawak component party leaders, but yet, they have rejected the agreement and also the responsibility through the devolution of powers,” said Bandar Kuching MP Kelvin Yii in a statement.

“Thus, the attitude of the Sarawak government is making the devolution process difficult.

“We cannot give them something they do not want, even though we see no reason for them to reject the deal if they truly believed in the devolution of powers that was fought for during the time of the late (former chief minister) Adenan Satem,” he said.

Yii said the agreement touches on, among others, the restoration of territorial integrity and devolution of powers in taxation and public revenues, education, health, social security, civil infrastructure development, natural resources and tourism.

He said Harapan is consistent and sincere in the promise on devolution regardless of political affiliation, but the onus is on the state government to accept the agreement and the responsibility that comes through the devolution of powers.

That they have rejected it, he said, shows they '”may not have the best interests of Sarawak at heart”.

Regardless, said Yii, the Harapan government intends to honour its manifesto promises to Sarawakians, “especially those that upholds the interest of Sarawak including the devolution of autonomous powers”.

“We will make sure the mechanism of such devolution will directly benefit the people of Sarawak, without the risk of BN Sarawak abusing those rights at the expense of the people or for personal gain.”