KUCHING, Oct 23: Ba’ Kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian should confront his Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) president first before blaming others for not supporting Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How on the setting up of a state sovereign fund in 2014.
Urging this, Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Youth chief Michael Tiang reminded Baru that his party president Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh was the state second minister of finance from 2016 until 2019.
“Yet Wong didn’t support See Chee How when he mooted the motion to set up a state sovereign fund in the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) in 2014,” he said in a statement yesterday (Oct 22) in responding to Baru’s recent statement.
Baru had yesterday asserted that it was embarrassing to read SUPP’s Convention Resolution to the Sarawak government to set up a Sarawakian Sovereign Fund, a proposal that was first mooted by See as early as 2014 and suggested to the late chief minister Pehin Sri Adenan Satem.
Tiang also expressed surprise to see Baru “suddenly awakened” from his silence to speak about Sarawak’s rights and interests following SUPP’s Convention Resolution.
As Baru pointed fingers at SUPP for failing to fight for the setting up of the state sovereign fund in the past, Tiang asked him to reflect on what he had done for Sarawak when he was the federal minister of public works.
“I want Baru to tell Sarawakians where he was when the Sarawak government was claiming our rights on (State) Sales Tax (SST) over petroleum products, particularly against Petronas,” he urged.
He emphasised that the State Sovereign Fund that SUPP suggested was meant for the revenue surplus following SST implementation in 2019.
“In 2014 (when See proposed the establishment of the fund), there was no additional fund for our state to set up a sovereign fund for such purpose.
“However, through the leadership of our Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg and GPS (Gabungan Parti Sarawak) government, we have successfully asserted our SST rights over petroleum products in the court of law,” he said.
With the collection of over RM3 billion in SST from petroleum companies, Tiang added that SUPP believes now is the right time to set up a sovereign fund to ensure the future generations of Sarawak will continue to benefit from the oil and gas revenues even after the depletion of the oil and gas resources. —DayakDaily
