A number of longhouses in Machan constituency still need proper electricity and water supplies while two main roads there need to be linked, said Allan Siden Gramong (GPS-Machan) in his speech while debating the motion of thanks for the Head of State’s speech at the State Legislative Assembly.
He also called upon the Public Utilities Ministry to make a proper study of Ulu Machan and Ulu Poi for possible alternative sources of electricity and clean water to the people in these areas.
“In this junction, I wish to urge the government to give bigger and more generous allocations to the Regional Corridor Development Authority (Recoda) so that it can continue working with the regional agencies to implement various projects,” he added.
Allan revealed that a number of small bridges, access roads, concrete paths, concrete drains, rewiring of longhouses, school fences and so forth had been completed in Machan with the implementation of the Rural Transformation Projects (RTP) projects there.
“As these are practical and useful projects affecting the daily lives of the people, with many more being planned and processed for implementation.
“There is a real need for the GPS government to increase our budget allocation for rural development and transformation as the fund from the federal government is not forthcoming,” he said.
Allan added he was grateful that the state had its own financial sources to carry out projects which were not carried out by the federal government.
He said it was crucial for Sarawak to continue fighting for the resources found on its land and its continental shelf.
Meanwhile, Martin Ben (GPS-Kedup) in his speech yesterday stressed the need for a systematic plan to eradicate poverty in the rural areas.
“As the saying goes, give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man a to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
“Hence, we need to equip our rural folks with skills, connect them to a market for the products they produce or put in place other programmes to alleviate their standard of living,” he said.
Martin pointed out that human capital was a vital asset to a sustainable future and that it could be improved through education and training.
“We are proud to be the first state in Malaysia to implement the teaching and learning of Science and Mathematics in English for primary schools.
“Due to the importance of these subjects for our children, the state puts high priority on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in our children’s education. This is in order to prepare them for the future ahead,” he said.
Martin added that acquisition of skills was important and it could be achieved through Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET).
