Guan Eng wrong, S’wak will never go bankrupt: Abang Jo
MUKAH: “My grandson knows balancing (account). This Finance Minister, I’m sorry-lah that Malaysia has that sort of minister!”
This was how Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg put it when asked what he thought of Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng who said Sarawak will go bankrupt within the next three years if it continues to let Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) rule the state.
“He (Lim) thinks I would just simply spend it (state reserves) off. Of course, there is income revenue. It is not that RM11 billion would just finish like that. We have income from dividends, royalties and tax revenue,” he said during the Gawai Raya celebration and GPS Zone 10 launch at Rh Kalang, Bayan Ulu, Mukah, yesterday.
On Friday, Lim at the Sarawak DAP fundraising dinner, said Sarawak’s RM30 billion reserves would be gone in three years with its annual budget of RM11 billion.
He said the state could end up like Kelantan which had to borrow from the federal government.
Abang Johari, however, said the RM11 billion is just the spending and that Guan Eng should re-calculate the income earned by the state.
“I am going to spend RM11 billion based on our income. I don’t spend if there is no income to support my spending.
“For this year, Sarawak has a revenue of RM3 billion from sales tax on oil and gas export.
“This does not take into account our rights to oil and gas which will be announced at the end of this year,” he said.
The chief minister also said this year Sarawak has an additional income from the five per cent sales tax imposed on petroleum products meant for overseas market.
“The success of Sarawak government having a savings of RM30 billion is because it is responsible and very prudent in managing its spending.
“The RM30 billion reserves are the result of the hard work and efficiency of the Sarawak-based parties (GPS).
“Let me assure Sarawakians, Sarawak will not go bankrupt under GPS. Not in three years. Not in 30 years.
“On the contrary, the state’s finances will go from strength to strength,” he stressed.
