Padungan rep wants 2 SUPP ministers to explain RM6.38 mil in expenses on overseas conferences

By Lian Cheng

KUCHING, May 10: Padungan assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen (PH-DAP) demands both Public Health, Housing, and Local Government Minister Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian and Transport Minister Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin explain their respective expenses of RM2.78 million and RM3.6 million on overseas conferences and study visits which incurred within 2024.

Chong said that the Supplementary Supply (2024) Bill, 2024 passed yesterday (May 9), showed that there was an increased expenditure of RM2.78 million from the Public Health, Housing, and Local Government Ministry for overseas conferences and study visits.

“The initial allocation under the Budget 2024 for this programme was only RM161,400, but it is now only five months into 2024, an additional amount of RM2,781,750 is now required, which constitutes a 1,700 per cent in additional to the allocation originally approved in Budget 2024.

“Therefore, I now pose the following questions for the Minister Dr Sim Kui Hian (Batu Kawa assemblyman, GPS-SUPP) to answer,” said Chong in a press conference held on the sidelines of the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS) today.

The five questions Chong posed to Dr Sim were:  

1. How many overseas conferences and study visits were attended with this RM2,781,750? (Including a detailed breakdown of the expenses of each conference and visit)
2. Where and when were these overseas conferences and study visits?  
3. How many persons were financed by this RM2,781,750 for these conferences and visits?
4. Was the spouse of the Minister also amongst those financed by this RM2,781,750 for these conferences and visits?
5. What are the proposed programmes to be implemented resulting from these conferences and visits?

Apart from Dr Sim, Chong, who is also Stampin MP, questioned Lee, who is Senadin assemblyman (GPS-SUPP), to explain the additional RM3.6 million spent on the same purpose.

Chong pointed out that, coincidentally, both ministers are from SUPP (Sarawak United Peoples’ Party).

Yesterday, the DUS passed the Supplementary Supply (2024) Bill, 2024 amounting to RM246,073,650.  

Under the RM246 million supplementary spending in the first half of 2024, RM2.78 million was used by the Public Health, Housing, and Local Government “for overseas conferences and study visits”.

The Ministry of Transport also required a sum of RM3.6 million for the same purpose.  — DayakDaily