By Karen Bong
KUCHING, May 31: The federal government has allocated RM4.3 billion under 2019 budget for the implementation of 569 development projects worth RM41.33 billion that have been approved for Sarawak.
Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong emphasised that the approved projects were spread over 35 districts.
“Vary by sector, the projects include upgrading dilapidated schools, affordable housing, construction and maintenance of roads and drainage, rural water supply as well as agriculture programmes,” she told a press conference at the Democratic Action Party (DAP) headquarters here today.
She added that the projects also comprised the building of health clinics in Tabuan Jaya, 17th Mile Siburan and Sebuyau.
“The projects differ in size and scope, with some being implemented in stages. The allocation of RM4.3 billion is for this year only,” she explained.
Instead of releasing a lump sum, she said project funding needed to be properly managed and released accordingly, depending on the delivery of projects.
“This is factual information on the development allocations for Sarawak, which matched what Minister of Finance Lim Guan Eng had revealed to the press,” she clarified in responding to criticisms and doubts from certain quarters.
In many news reports, Lim denied that Sarawak was sidelined in infrastructure development, saying that the development allocation in 2019 for projects in Sarawak by the federal government was the second largest, after Sabah.
As such, Yong advised Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Youth secretary-general Milton Foo to not embarrass himself by shouting in the news over budget allocations and development project issues as there were proper channels to obtain factual information.
“Information is readily available and can be obtained by writing to the Ministry of Finance (MoF) or other relevant federal ministries,” she said.
Meanwhile, DAP Sarawak will be organising a fundraising dinner on June 21 at Thian Court, Crown Square, here. Lim is expected to be the guest-of-honour at the dinner themed ‘Sarawak here we come’.
Organising chairperson Sim Kiat Leng said the tickets could now be purchased, and the funds collected would go towards supporting the party in preparation for the next state election, due in 2021. — DayakDaily
