BINTULU: Having toppled Barisan Nasional (BN) in the 14th General Election, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said a change in the Sarawak government is also possible.
Dr Mahathir, who is Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (BERSATU) chairman, said bagging Sarawak would enable the federal government to better co-ordinate development efforts for the state.
"God willing, when Sarawak has its state election, we can change the government.
"This is our hope, this is what we will fight for and we will succeed,” he said when launching the state party chapter here last night.
Dr Mahathir said BERSATU’s entry into Sarawak was due to popular demand from the people in the state itself.
About 1,000 of the party members were present at the launch and it is learnt that about 30,000 people have applied to join the state chapter so far.
The Sarawak state election is held separately from the general election. The next Sarawak state election must be held by 2021 at the latest.
In his speech, Dr Mahathir said although Sarawak had come a long way many people in the state have still been left out.
He said the size of the state caused some elected representatives to neglect their constitutents as they were unable to visit them often.
Dr Mahathir also took a swipe at the solar panel scandal which former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor had been caught up in.
"We can see some schools are in terrible condition. There was also a proposal by the previous federal government to provide schools with water, but the money was swindled," he said.
It was reported that Rosmah has claimed trial to two counts of corruption under Section 16 (a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009.
She was charged with soliciting RM187.5mil through her former aide Datuk Rizal Mansor and receiving RM1.5mil in bribe relating to the RM1.25bil solar hybrid project for rural schools in Sarawak.
The project involved the installation of solar panels at 369 schools in Sarawak.
Dr Mahathir said Pakatan Harapan would ensure action is taken against those who were responsible if it managed to capture Sarawak.
“The state government has tabled an RM11 billion budget, which is an extraordinary amount.
“However, is it really going towards the improvement of the people’s livelihood here,” he questioned.
