KUCHING, May 11: Batu Kitang assemblyman Lo Khere Chiang is disappointed that Bawang Assan assemblyman Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh was absent from the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting today.
According to Lo, as assemblymen they have pledged to serve the people, and attending this DUN sitting is one of the ways of serving the people.
“Datuk Seri Wong, as the Second Finance Minister before, who also has been in the Sarawak parliament for the last 15 years… I feel sad and disappointed that he is not in here to support the Sarawak government, to which he had been with for the previous 15 years,” he told reporters at the DUN building today.
Wong, who is also Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) president, in a statement released yesterday revealed that PSB assemblymen would be absent from today’s one-day DUN sitting as elected representatives would not have any opportunity to debate and highlight issues during the sitting.
The other PSB assembymen aside from Wong are Dr Johnichal Rayong Ngipa (Engkilili), Datuk Ranum Mina (Opar) and Datuk Tiong Thai King (Dudong).
Meanwhile, Lo asserted that the RM2.55 billion in expenditure that was injected into the domestic economy by the Sarawak government throughout the Movement Control Order (MCO) period comes from the state’s contingency funds.
He opined that Wong should know that the expenditure allocated comes from a contingency plan, as was mentioned by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.
“We do have a contingency fund, and it is not like what Datuk Seri Wong said, and we all know that Sarawak’s financials are very sound; we are the state in the whole of Malaysia with the biggest reserves,” he added.
On another note, Lo disclosed the RM200,000 allocation given to his constituency has benefited hardcore poor and less fortunate residents, and the distribution is still ongoing as of today.
He said that the aid might not be distributed to everyone, as there are about 40,000 households under his constituency.
“But because of the cooperation, understanding and tolerance (sic) among my constituents, the RM200,000 managed to benefit those who are really in need and poor,” he added. — DayakDaily
