KUCHING, Oct 9: Budget 2023 is clear continued marginalization of Sarawak, says Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) president Voon Lee Shan.
According to Voon, Sarawak had in past decades contributed much funds to the national coffers but what Sarawak got was always chicken feed only.
“From Sarawak, the federal government took its oil and gas revenues besides revenues from stamp duties, customs tax by Customs Department, inland revenues by Income Tax Department and revenues collected by Land Transport, police and Judicial Department,” he said in a statement today.
Voon said the budget could not help the Dayaks and Malays standard of living, including uplift poverty and poor state of things in the rural areas.
“There is no reason Sabah could like previous years, got more than what Sarawak should get. But what Sabah got is also not justified,” he added.
Voon claimed that the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government, despite having several ministers in the federal Cabinet could not have their voices heard in the fight for better allocations for Sarawak.
“In order to put pressures on the federal government, the State government even changed the title of Chief Minister to Premier but it carried no weight and pressure to push things in favour of Sarawak against Malaya,” he opined. — DayakDaily
