KUCHING: Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) should demand from the federal government development funds as this is the latter’s responsibility.
In making this call, Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) president Voon Lee Shan said the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government—when in power for 22 months—had failed to put in sufficient effort to alleviate economic and social problems faced y Sarawakians.
He commented that most things that PH did only benefitted Peninsular Malaysia, while Sarawak was badly in need of better healthcare, roads and schools and also the return of all its oil and gas revenues.
“They should know Sarawak needs to catch up with Peninsular Malaysia in terms of development and they should focus more on developing Sabah and Sarawak.
“I see Sarawak has been short-changed. Most funds to the national coffers were used to develop Peninsular Malaysia or to service debts.
“The cancellation of the already approved projects for Batang Lupar, Batang Igan and Batang Rambungan bridges as well diverting the funds allocated for these bridges for the northern part of Sarawak for the Sarawak-Sabah Link Road (SSLR) was a big mistake,” opined Voon.
He elaborated that another fund should be allocated for the SSLR project by PH. The cancellation of the bridges also showed that the GPS government was not able to flex its muscles to get PH not to cancel the projects.
Commenting further, Voon said this had caused the GPS government to use state funds for the projects – money that should have been used for other economic development to benefit rural folk.
