Sharifah Hasidah waves to the crowd as Sabri looks on.
KUCHING: The Barisan Nasional (BN) has been instrumental in the provision of huge annual allocations for the state’s welfare programmes.
As such, Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob believes that the claims by the opposition saying that Sarawak is being ignored by the federal government are baseless.
“Sarawak receives the biggest allocation annually and this is only possible if BN continues to be the government in Sarawak,” he said in launching Kelab Waris, held in conjunction with the Sarawak Former Community Development Department (Kemas) Members Association — or PBAKM — here yesterday.
Elaborating further, Ismail highlighted the Housing Project for the Hardcore Poor (PPRT) as one of government’s programmes to benefit the target group.
“For PPRT, Sarawak is allocated with RM88 million out of RM300 million this year — a rate that’s almost 30 per cent. The trend is that Sarawak gets over 25 per cent of the total allocation.
“In Sarawak, the allocation (for PPRT) is divided in two — 70 per cent for house repairs and 30 per cent for total rebuilding. Thus, we must ensure that BN would win big in this coming election and for Tok Nan (Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem) to continue leading Sarawak.”
Ismail also said although Adenan had been in office for a relatively short time, he had done much for Sarawakians so far.
He also called on members of Kelab Waris to not just support and vote for BN, but to go to the ground and get other youths to do the same as well.
The club, known in full as ‘Kelab Wawasan Anak Muda Perintis Intelektual SeMalaysia’, comprises and is led by the children of former and current Kemas officers and personnel.
PBAKM president Dato Melati Ali and her Sarawak counterpart Hidir Nusi were present at yesterday’s event, where BN candidate for Samariang, Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali made a brief appearance earlier.
Meanwhile, Ismail told reporters later that for rural development, the government’s focus would still be on providing basic necessities for and elevating the socio-economy of the people.
“Providing basic necessities is an ongoing project, while courses are being held to equip the people with skills and knowledge.
“We don’t just give certificates after the courses, but we also provide them with the things that they need to start their own business. For example, those having completed a cake making course would be provided with the necessary baking tools at the end of the programme,” he said.