By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, March 26: Deputy Premier of Sarawak Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas wants all officers from various departments and agencies under his Ministry of Infrastructure and Port Development (MIPD) to be very frank in telling him and its top management about problems encountered when implementing projects on the ground.
“Do not spare us any bad news. Please tell us especially of problems encountered when briefing us on the project.
“Lay them on the table for deliberation and solution,” he said after a talk on integrity given by Ustaz Syamsul Debat to ministry officers and staff and followed by the breaking of fast at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here yesterday (March 25).
He further recalled the time he was met by a group of local headmen and landowners who expressed their concerns over land compensation matters during a visit to a road project in Samarahan Division.
He was positive that the group of men were angry at that time but he was later briefed that there was a mix-up in the issue and it is being taken care of.
“I hope that it is a genuine mistake. Myself, my two deputy ministers and the permanent secretary, we are all open to your (officers) feedbacks.
“Whatever it is, whether it is bad or good news, you have to tell us,” he added.
He also reminded those present that MIPD has set a number of targets to achieve this year including a 100 per cent or at least 95 per cent development expenditure from the RM799.5 million budget for 2024.
In 2021, MIPD’s development expenditure performance was at 67.46 per cent, followed by 68.16 per cent in 2022 and 85.69 per cent in 2023—the highest compared to other ministries and departments.
Also present were Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Port Development Datuk Aidel Lariwoo, MIPD permanent Secretary Datu Chiew Chee Yau and political secretary to the Sarawak Premier, Roseline Mapong. — DayakDaily
