Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has asked the people in Kidurong, Sarawak, to support the Barisan Nasional (BN) plan to bring a 'world-class development' in Bintulu, but Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang thinks otherwise.

Instead, he said the Kidurong people should vote for his party, the DAP, as a strong opposition role in the Sarawak legislative assembly in indispensable to push for a 'first world mentality' among the state government leaders.

"World class development cannot be brought about by just talk while continuing to maintain 'third-world' or even 'fourth world' mentality," Lim stressed in a statement today.

He cited the erosion of local university standard and quality, as well as the BN parliamentarians who are not free to vote according to their conscience as examples why BN elected representatives are not ready for a 'first class mentality'.

"If things are so bad in Parliament, it is worse in the Sarawak state assembly, unless it is checked by a strong band of DAP representatives," Lim said.

"It is not that Malaysia is short of talents and quality human capital to have world-class universities which are at par with the best universities in other countries, but because we continue to allow 'third class mentality' to run the country and the universities," he argued.

Bidayuh's case

Lim also took offence by Najib's statement that the opposition parties such as the DAP only championed the cause of one community but the BN struggled for all communities in the country.

"He cannot be more wrong," rebutted the DAP stalwart.

Lim said in the recent Parliament, he has raised the injustice of discrimination against Dayak who were not given their full rights as bumiputeras, citing the case of a Bidayuh whose application for a RM5 million loan meant for bumiputera entrepreneurs was rejected.

The rejection was on the ground a Bidayuh is not "recognised as a bumiputera", he said.