Sarawak DAP expects the coming Sarawak state and parliamentary elections, if both are held concurrently, to be the dirtiest ever in the country's election history.

Its chairman Wong Ho Leng made this assertion at the 15th Sarawak DAP annual convention in Kuching today.

He said it will be a do-or-die election for the Sarawak BN.

"The Sarawak BN is so afraid of losing power that it may decide to hold the State election concurrently with the Parliamentary election," said Wong, who is also the Sibu MP and Bukit Assek State Assemblyman.

NONEHe said under BN rule, Sarawak has become poorer, saying that it deserves better than just being the fourth poorest state in Malaysia.

Wong  (left) said Pakatan Rakyat comprising DAP, Sarawak National Party (SNAP), PAS and PKR, is confident that it can win in the state election that must be called within the next few months.

He said under BN rule, the people in Sarawak are suffering.

"Though Sarawak is the BN's ‘fixed deposit' state, it has been marginalised by the federal government. This is unacceptable. Under the Federal Budget of 2011, RM109.74 billion worth of mega projects will be built in Pensular Malaysia. Sarawak and Sabah share a mere RM9.55 billion worth of the projects. That is only eight percent of the total value of projects cited in the federal budget."

Wong said the BN has vowed to remain in Putrajaya at all costs.

"The BN contests to win the next election so that they can stay in power, but they will not wean out corruption, and they will continue to neglect Sarawak.

"The DAP and the Pakatan Rakyat must seize power from Putrajaya. We contest to win, not for ourselves but for our future generations. Malaysians deserve a better life.

"In order to win Putrajaya, we have a duty to ensure that Sarawak will not continue to be another BN's ‘fixed deposit' state," he said, adding Pakatan must also win to form the state government in Sarawak.

He said Sarawak boasts an income of RM3.9 billion, has the largest land mass in Malaysia and abundant resources.

"We ought to be the richest state but we are not. Our roads and infrastructures are 20 years behind peninsular Malaysia," he said.

He said there are lack of job and business opportunities in Sarawak and that Sarawakians are leaving the state in droves, to enrich and empower other states, only because they have no confidence in the BN Government.

"We have to reverse the brain drain from Sarawak. We have to save the native customary rights (NCR) land from being taken or exploited by the rich and well connected. We have to preserve our resources for our future generations.

"We have to enrich and empower our own people, the time is now, in the coming election."

Fear instilled

Wong said Pakatan has instilled fear in the BN to lose power and that is why it has resorted to suspend Opposition members from the state legislative assembly sitting.

"They spent time to prepare the White Papers with a view to stop Pakatan Rakyat's political leaders from Peninsular Malaysia to come to Sarawak. They resorted to restrain longhouse folks from accepting Opposition politicians. They restrict freedom of speech," he said.

Meanwhile, the convention adopted 29 resolutions, including opposing any political view and policy which has the tendency to change the secular nature of Malaysia into an Islamic state.

Another resolution urged the state government to amend the Sarawak Land Code to provide for automatic renewal of leases for 99 years upon their expiration.

The convention also urged the government to reduce the price of LPG, diesel and petrol sold in the country so as to ease the burden on the people and to urge the federal government to increase oil royalty payable to the state from the present 5 per cent to 20 per cent.

It also urged the government to abort plans to build aluminium smelter plant in Bintulu and urged the government to abolish service taxes on credit cards.