WELFARE MATTERS: Dalat assemblywoman Welfare, Women and Family Development Minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah poring over some documents with Assistant Minister of Welfare Robert Lawson Chuat, who is the assemblyman for Bukit Saban. The two were seen at the DUN Complex prior to attending the one-day sitting yesterday. — Photo by Muhammad Rais Sanusi
Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh
KUCHING: Second Finance Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh has described the one-day State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting yesterday as a well-worth session.
“This session is well worth it because the chief minister has made known his intention of how to develop Sarawak in the next five years, from 2016 to 2020. This is a crucial period for Malaysia is going to achieve the developed nation status with high income society.
“He has described in detail what the emphasis is going to be, particularly on rural development. He also spelled out some of the shortcomings we have to overcome because we are somewhat lagging behind Peninsular Malaysia and, therefore, we have to work hard to catch up,” he said when met by reporters after the sitting adjourned yesterday.
Wong, who is also Minister of Local Government and Community Development, said Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem had also spelled out “all his efforts in asking the federal government to empower the state to do so many things on its own.”
“This is by way of decentralisation or getting greater autonomous right. It is only fair that some of the administrative matters be left to Sarawak because we are on the ground … we know what is best for Sarawak.”
Responding to Kota Sentosa assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen’s comments that it would be the government’s failure if the high income economy target could not be achieved in 2020, Wong said: “No, it is not a failure.
“We try our best to achieve the target. But even if we don’t achieve the target, we won’t be too far behind because we must admit that the progress is different between peninsula and East Malaysia.”
On election preparations, Wong said his party, United People’s Party (UPP), had been on the ground all the time, but the party would leave it to the wisdom of Adenan to pick the candidates to contest under the BN ticket.
“We are in fact part of the Barisan Nasional family. As I said, we are on the ground all the time … we are ever ready for election. Even if it comes tomorrow, we are quite ready.
“But of course, as I said, we leave it to the chief minister to pick the winnable candidates, and we have all the winnable candidates for him to pick from.”
Asked whether UPP would contest in 19 seats, Wong said his party only aimed for seats that it was confident in winning.
When pressed for a number, he said: “We are very confident of winning many seats, if given a chance. We leave it to the wisdom of the chief minister.”