KUCHING: Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri James Jemut Masing said he was rather surprised that his spending idea has made Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh worried.
He said that Wong was actually barking up the wrong tree as he should have known that his idea was taken out of context when he spoke about using some of state’s reserves for development.
Last Monday, Wong, who is also Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) president, said in a press conference upon confirming his resignation from the state Cabinet, that he was concerned over Masing’s suggestion to spend the state reserves of RM31 billion for development projects before the next state election in 2021.
[Reference: https://www.newsarawaktribune.com.my/masings-spending-idea-not-good-wong/ ]
“I will not respond to the alleged statement about squandering the state reserves of RM31 million (as said by Wong during his press conference) as I have served a letter of demand to ‘The Borneo Post’ in my personal capacity.
“I am surprised Wong does not seem to know or fails to remember as the news on my issuance of demand to The Borneo Post has appeared in major newspapers in the state,” he said in a statement issued to the media yesterday.
The Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president said the matter is already a court case.
“So my advice to him is not to get too excited over the allegations made by The Borneo Post.”
On June 18 last year, Masing told members during PRS thanksgiving and Gawai ‘ngiling tikai’ dinner to use some of the reserves for development in the state.
[Reference: https://www.newsarawaktribune.com.my/masing-utilise-state-fund-now-for-development/?amp ]
The local broadsheet daily, however, reported Masing as having said the money should be spent before the election or it would be used by the new government if Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) is no longer in power. And this had elicited negative responses from certain quarters.
Masing then had to clarify that he actually suggested using some of the state funds and not all.
Pertaining to the articles, Masing, on June 26 last year, served a letter of demand to The Borneo Post Sdn Bhd and Borneo Post Online Sdn Bhd to apologise within seven days.
