KUCHING: Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen does not rule out the possibility of cooperating with Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) as long as it benefits the people in Sarawak and the nation.
This came after Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) vice-president Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah rejected the possibility of working with DAP.
“To me, if any party keeps the benefit of the people in Sarawak and Malaysia in their mind, we do not see it as a problem to work with them.
“What is beneficial to the people of Sarawak and Malaysia, we will put it as our main priority,” Chong told a press conference at the party headquarters here today.
Meanwhile, Chong revealed that during the Pakatan Harapan’s 22 month of ruling, they managed to reduce unnecessary costs that were spent on development projects through thorough revisions.
“We reviewed development projects during the 22 month of PH governance and the reviews were done across the nation, not only confined to Sarawak.
“We reviewed it because those development projects were awarded at unreasonably high prices, ripping obscene profits at the expense of taxpayers,” Chong said.
Chong added that it was one of their promises to the people for winning the mandate in GE-14 which they have delivered.
“Amongst the reviewed mega projects are East Coast Rail Line (ECRL) in West Malaysia which reduced the contract price from the initial RM65.5 billion to RM44 billion, saving a sum of RM21.5 billion.
“Another one is MRT 2 project in West Malaysia which reduced the contract price from the initial RM39.35 billion to RM30.53 billion, saving a sum of RM8.82 billion, on top of LRT 3 project in West Malaysia which reduced the contract price from RM31.65 billion to RM16.63 billion, saving a sum of RM15.02 billion.
“It also includes the review of Project Delivery Partner (PDP) role of the Pan Borneo Highway project in Sarawak, saving an estimated sum of RM1.2 billion,” Chong said.
Therefore, Chong pointed out that it was clear that the PH government did not single out Sarawak but on the contrary, applied the principles of good governance, transparency and accountability across the nation on all previous government projects that were unreasonably priced.
In the meantime, Chong reminded that RM1 billion direct grant was approved by the PH government to Sarawak government in 2019 to repair and upgrade of dilapidated schools in Sarawak, over and above the amount under Budget 2019 which showed a gesture of goodwill to the Sarawak government.
“The existence of more than 1,000 dilapidated schools in Sarawak as at 2018 was due to the 55 years of mismanagement and neglect on the part of the Barisan Nasional (BN) government.
“The RM1 billion direct grant was approved by the previous Minister of Finance, Lim Guan Eng, who went out of his way to ensure that the dilapidated schools in Sarawak can be repaired and upgraded.
“Is that not an extra benefit for Sarawak?” he questioned.
Chong concluded by pointing out that since the fall of PH government in February 2020, the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government has yet to approve extra grant in their more than 31 months of governance for the repair of the dilapidated schools in Sarawak which has caused many of the schools to remain in their current state.
