KUCHING, Dec 10: Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen’s application for the disclosure of projects funded by the RM11 billion in the Government Contribution Towards Approved Agencies Trust Fund, in a defamation suit against him was objected by the Sarawak Government.
Chong in a press statement today, said that he filed the application for the disclosure of documents on the list of projects funded with the RM11 billion from the said Trust Fund in the Kuching High court, in a defamation suit by the Sarawak Government against him.
“The State Government refuses to disclose the list of projects funded by the RM11 billion in the Government Contribution Towards Approved Agencies Trust Fund.
“Since it is the State Government’s stand that the fund was used to finance development projects, it is thus my ground of application that these documents are relevant to the case and more importantly, as this involves RM11 billion of public fund, the State Government must be transparent about what are the projects purportedly financed by the fund,” he said.
Chong explained that from 2006 to 2013, a total of RM11.3 billion was allocated by the Sarawak State Government to this account called Government Contribution towards Approved Agencies Trust Fund and have persistently questioned the whereabouts of the money as it involved a huge amount.
Finally, he said, in 2015, the State Government, through the tabling of the annual financial statements of the said Trust Fund in the State Legislative Assembly (DUN), disclosed that the money was used to pay debts taken up and bonds issued by the subsidiary companies of the State government.
“Therefore, it is up to the Court to decide whether the Sarawak Government must disclose these documents about the list of projects purported to be financed with this RM11 billion fund.
“The Court will hear the oral submission of both parties on Monday to decide whether the government must produce such a document,” he added. –DayakDaily.
