By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Dec 6: Kota Sentosa assemblyman Wilfred Yap has hit back at allegations that the Sarawak government is being ‘secretive’ about its debt levels, describing the claims by Sarawak Democratic Action Party (DAP) chairman Chong Chieng Jen as misleading and an attempt at ‘political theatre’.
Yap said all financial information Chong demanded—including State debt levels, repayment obligations, and interest payments—is already publicly accessible through documents tabled in the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS) during every annual Budget sitting.
“They provide full disclosure of the State’s revenue, detailed operating and development expenditure, statements of financial obligations, fiscal position, economic outlook, and policy justifications.
“If he has failed to read or understand the documents provided, it is not the fault of the government,” he said in a statement issued today.
He added that the Sarawak government has consistently demonstrated transparency through its budgeting process, annual financial statements, and Auditor-General reports, which are openly accessible to every legislative assemblymember and form part of the official legislative record.
“It is therefore irresponsible for Chong to claim secretiveness when the information is literally in front of him during every Budget sitting.
“Furthermore, his repeated attempts to politicise normal fiscal measures, such as land premium adjustments, assessment rates, water tariffs, and regulatory fees, ignore the reality that these are part of long-term financial sustainability and development planning,” he said.
Yap also said that Chong should first read the Command Papers and Budget documents already provided to him before making such statements.
“The information he seeks is there, unless his real intention is not transparency, but political theatre,” he said. — DayakDaily
