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KUCHING, Sept 12: Sarawak should take over infrastructure responsibilities from the Ministry of Works (KKR) so that the State can prioritise, plan, and design its own connections, rather than make requests to the federal government and letting the ministry decide for the State, says Baru Bian.
In a statement issued today, the Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) secretary-general emphasised that Sarawak’s transportation infrastructure lags far behind that of West Malaysia.
“The federal government makes decisions about the construction of connections between our major cities and towns, as well as the allocations for such projects and, in many cases, the appointment of contractors.
“It would be better if the federal government hands over a reasonable portion of the infrastructure budget to us and gives us the freedom to plan and execute projects that we need on infrastructure,” said the former Minister of Works.
Furthermore, he stressed that Sarawak lags behind West Malaysia in every aspect, including infrastructure, healthcare, education, and economic opportunities.
“Throughout the years, our oil and gas revenues have benefitted West Malaysia much more than Sarawak.
“Therefore, I want to see more annual allocations for Sarawak to narrow the gap of development between Sarawak and West Malaysia,” he added.
Baru, who is also Ba’ Kelalan assemblyman also requested that four areas be fully or partially devolved to Sarawak: infrastructure, education, health, and a portion of the Ministry of Home Affairs’ functions related to the issuance of identity cards or the right to citizenship.
“These are my hopes for Sarawak this Malaysia Day,” Baru added. — DayakDaily
