KUCHING: Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng may have boasted about the current federal government giving Sarawak a lot more than the previous administration in the 2020 federal Budget but that does not mean that Sarawak should stop asking for its right to equitable development.
Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah pointed out that regardless of its recorded increase from the previous government’s (Barisan National) allocation, Budget 2020 is “not enough for a big state like Sarawak”.
“The grant to build more childcare centres at workplace and kindergartens to provide support system for the working parents is simply not enough for a big state like Sarawak.
“Childcare centres at schools and hospitals for instance, are almost non-existent,” she told the New Sarawak Tribune, yesterday.
She said this in response to the Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng’s statement in questioning Sarawak for being unhappy over the “inadequate and unfair” Budget 2020 allocation to the state.
She further stated that the welfare of the staff at the Community-based Rehabilitation Centres (PDK) not just in Sarawak but throughout the nation, needs to be looked into.
“The supervisor is being paid RM1,200 per month while its officer only gets an allowance of RM800,” she stressed.
Fatimah noted also that there is no increase on the Social Welfare Department (JKM) monthly assistance for eligible recipients.
However, she did laud the incentive for women to return to work.
