I refer to the Malaysiakini report PM announces RM1 bil development fund for S'wak.

I refer to Borneo Post report ‘PM assures Bidayuh will be rewarded’ The Bidayuh community has right to demand and be rewarded for if not, there will be continuing racial discrimination.

In Serian, for example, there are so many areas be it Kedup or Tebedu that lack basic amenities such as electricity, accessible roads, treated pipe water and decent community halls. This is what the Bidayuh community ‘enjoys’ after Sarawak’s independence in Malaysia.

One question in their minds is how has the taxpayers money been spent? The rural areas in Sarawak deserve to enjoy better infrastructure projects and is the government should ensure priority for this.

The BN government has no right to claim that the tax money is from them (the government). It is the people’s money including the royalty paid for Sarawak’s natural resources.

We in the PKR Serian Division will monitor what the prime minister had promised during his recent visit to Serian and we are also want to cooperate with all the relevant authorities in order to identify the people’s requests so that we can highlight issues.

There few issues are effecting the Bidayuh community which the prime minister should solve. They are as follows:

1.Education- Distribution of the ‘Kumpulan Wang Amanah Pelajar Miskin’ (KWAPM) was a hot issue during the last general election. The BN candidate claimed that the money was from BN and if poor parents did not vote for BN, they would lose the scheme. Why was such a threat issued?

2.Please give more attention to the Bidayuh students with good grades as they deserve to enter the higher education institutional bodies such as colleges and universities.

3.Welfare and subsidy - Give an agriculture subsidy to all poor farmer's such as free seedlings. The Malaysian Palm Oil Board should provide oil palm seedlings to smallholder groups in order to improve their standard of living.

4. Give more recognition for NCR land especially those effecting all Dayak land. The government shouldn’t simply take the people’s land.

5. Give priority for Sarawakian Bidayuh to hold important positions be it as ambassadors or high commissioners in addition to senior positions at both state and federal levels.

Recently, after the PM announced his new cabinet line-up, we found that were not given the chance to serve as a minister or a deputy minister. We are denied from playing a major role in the country.

5. We also have the right to say no to the name ‘Kampung Tun Razak’. The Bidayuh will lose their identity by such changing of names which do not reflect the original Bidayuh identity.