KUCHING: Wilfred Yap’s latest remarks on illegal gambling are yet another example of SUPP’s favourite tactic, that is shifting blame and pretending to be powerless, said MP Stampin special assistant, Michael Kong.
By his flawed reasoning, Kong said if a state assemblyman has ‘no power’ to make local councils act, then an MP should likewise have ‘no power’ to get the police to act. Yet Yap singles out MP Stampin, Chong Chieng Jen for ‘not doing enough’ while turning a blind eye to his own inaction.
Kong said that what Chong did in Parliament was exactly his job as Stampin MP that is raising the issue at the federal level to highlight a serious problem across Sarawak.
He said local councils like MBKS and MPP are far from powerless. They have the legal authority to revoke licences and shut down premises involved in illegal activities. They’ve done it before during the COVID-19 pandemic when MBKS threatened to revoke licences for SOP violations, in June 2022 when they warned hawkers about plastic straw bans, and in June 2017 when MPP revoked four licences for illegal gambling.
Kong pointed out that only Chong has spoken up on this issue in Parliament. Wilfred Yap, on the other hand, has never once raised it in the Sarawak State Assembly, preferring instead to silence Opposition voices with Standing Orders or to issue statements in support of GPS.
With power comes responsibility. SUPP leaders have the authority to act but have chosen to sit on their hands. Their refusal to confront this issue is the real failure. Local councils must stop hiding behind the police and start doing their job. Every level of government has a role and it’s time they played theirs.
By Connie Chieng