Citizens who have voted for the present GPS government in power should not complain for the rising prices of goods and services because this is the government you had chosen. You had given them the mandate to rule for five years and you have to suffer for it.

The only time you can complain is through the ballot box and this is about five years away.

There is no point to complain to Parti Bumi Kenyalang because you had been warned before the elections that prices of essential goods, especially, food would rise up sharply, but, yet you voted for them to be returned to power. #Parti_Bumi_Kenyalang

Before the Sarawak Elections, I had warned Sarawakians not to vote GPS under the leadership of Abang Johari Tun Openg because I know his government could not boost our economy to our expectations.

GPS Sarawak, a re-branding of Barisan Nasional Sarawak, is in power for long but its agriculture and food policies had not been able to control the rising costs of living.

GPS government had not been able to control the increase of prices of essential goods despite the fact that current Malaysian Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, Alexander Nanta Linggi, is from Sarawak. The minister should ask himself why essential goods in Sarawak are more expensive than in West Malaysia by more than 5% to 10%. Without knowing the problem, we would not be able to give solutions to tackle the problems.

We cannot blame the war in Ukraine for the increase of prices of goods. Before the war in Ukraine, there were wars in many countries in the world but the economy was not as bad as the present one. This is because we did not plan our agriculture well, but too dependent on import.

I had said many times before food is a weapon and can cause chaos if the country is not prepared to tackle the problems of food shortages

Despite having good weather with plenty of land and water, there is no reason Sarawak should import meat, rice and vegetables and could not be a major exporter of food in this region. What we need is a balanced agriculture policy that could provide not only cash crop, but, food and meat for own people.

We have many huge oil palm plantations making big loss now with the sharp drop in oil palm prices. The increase of prices of cooking oil, meat and vegetables is now causing people to suffer.

VOON LEE SHAN
President,
Parti Bumi Kenyalang