KUCHING, Oct 5: If Pakatan Harapan (PH) were to take over the Sarawak government, it will replace Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit (ART) with public bus system.
Apart from that, Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak chief Chong Chieng Jen said he would build 20 English-medium private schools for Sarawak students instead of five international schools.
“One of the projects that, if PH takes over the State government, the PH Government will stop is the ART project, but we will replace it with much better, consistent, punctual and wider coverage area public bus system with no fees for users for the first five years.
“Instead of five State-owned international schools collecting fees and creating elitist students, we will allocate not more than 10 per cent of the development budget for education, including building and providing free English-medium private schools for Sarawak students.
“The amount would be enough to build at least 20 schools throughout Sarawak to give parents of all communities in Sarawak a choice to send their children to study in English language learning environment,” said Chong who is also Kota Sentosa assemblyman.
These are two promises made by Chong when he called on Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg not to play the “carrot and stick” kampong politics as “such low tactic does not befits a statesman who is supposed to lead the State of Sarawak”.
“Abang Jo should stop holding the people of Sarawak to ransom by threatening that if GPS fails to retain power after the next State Elections, certain allocations and projects will be terminated.
“Such ‘development’ as bait for votes is not something that befits a true political leader,” said Chong.
On Abang Johari’s announcement of allocating RM1.5 billion for Upper Rajang Development Authority, Chong questioned why only promise development for Kapit and Upper Rajang region after 57 years.
“I can assure the people of Sarawak and the business sector that if PH Sarawak takes over the State Government after the Sarawak Elections, it will continue with the development projects and programmes of the current government, albeit with some pertinent improvements to be made.
“Therefore, genuine contractors and businessmen need not fear a change of government. It is only those cronies who survive on political connections need to fear a change of government,” said Chong who is also Stampin MP.
For the repair of the dilapidated schools in Sarawak, he said, the fund was also allocated by the Federal Government.
“But when it was to be implemented by the State, the costs of repairing one school was approximately to be RM10 million per school with less than 200 students. The costing presented by the State was way too high and thus reviews were necessary,” said Chong.
Chong said former Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng would not allow such practice to continue under the PH government.
“As such, the repair of dilapidated school projects was handled with very stringent terms and conditions. This made the GPS ministers very unhappy with Lim Guan Eng and DAP,” said Chong. -DayakDaily
