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Stampin
MP questions unfair devt expenditure allocation for Sabah, Sarawak in 2021
Budget - Borneo Post Online
KUCHING
(Nov 30): Stampin MP Chong Chieng Jen has questioned the unfair allocation of
specific development expenditure for Sabah and Sarawak in the 2021 Budget.
He said the
specific development expenditure for the two Bornean states was about 13 per
cent of the total RM69 billion development expenditure in the 2021 National
Budget, compared to 17 per cent when the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government
approved the 2020 Budget.
“Even
though the development expenditure has increased from RM56 billion in 2020 to
RM69 billion for 2021, specific development expenditure for Sarawak and Sabah
still remains at around RM9.6 billion.
“Therefore
this is an injustice to Sabah and Sarawak,” the Democratic Action Party (DAP)
Sarawak chairman said in his 2021 Budget debate speech in parliament today.
Chong also
said despite the increase in the Prime Minister’s Department (PMD) development
expenditure from RM2.93 billion in 2020 to RM7.22 billion for 2021, the
allocation for the Sabah and Sarawak Affairs Division under the PMD was only at
RM22 million compared to the PMD management expenditure of about RM4.47
billion.
“That is
not even 0.5 per cent (of the management expenditure). And the number of posts
in the Sabah and Sarawak Affairs Division is only 106 compared to the PMD with
24,000 officers.
“This shows
that the Sabah and Sarawak Affairs Minister (Datuk Seri Maximus Johnity
Ongkili) is the only minister who has no development expenditure under his own
jurisdiction.
“This means
that Sabah and Sarawak continue to be sidelined under the Perikatan Nasional
(PN) government just like back during the Barisan Nasional (BN) days,” he said.
Chong also
highlighted another unfairness in the 2021 Budget allocation for the
development corporations (PKN) of Sarawak compared to other states.
He said
Sarawak PKN was only allocated RM665,000, compared to Johor PKN which was
allocated RM14 million, Kedah RM16 million, Kelantan RM7 million, Terengganu
RM1 million and Sabah RM9 million.
“Even
though the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) has been the kingmaker during the
‘Sheraton Move’, the PN government only appointed several GPS leaders as
cabinet ministers, and showed no appreciation to Sarawak in the 2021 National
Budget,” said Chong.
Mycomments:
How can Malaya Agong
endorse the Budget 2021 showing unfairness and injustice to pass? How can Sarawak BN-GPS so-called national
representatives allow the Budget 2021 to pass without any protest? How can the BN-GPS Sarawak government and the
Sabah government accept this unfair and unjust federal Budget 2021?
Who cares about the
feelings and thoughts of Sabahans and Sarawakians? Well, I pray and hope that Sabahans and
Sarawakians will wake up and exercise people’s power to flush out for a
change. Only through competition, we
people can expect improvement. Otherwise,
we have to face the same pattern, the same practice of corruption and collusion
of these political scoundrels and thugs.
We face the same problems of being plundered, exploited, oppressed,
suppressed, robbed and bullied.
The poverty and the
extremes we face today are the making of these political scoundrels and thugs. Dear friends, are you prepared for the flush
out of these political thugs?