KUCHING: Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) president Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian yesterday said the Chief Minister had asked opposition leaders to join the state Barisan Nasional (BN) if the latter wanted government grants.
“When they go and see (sic) CM recently, their first request is (sic) also they want CM to give them grants. CM said he can consider but asked them to join Barisan Nasional,” said Dr Sim before handing out government grants to various organisations at the SUPP headquarters here yesterday.
The Local Government and Housing Minister said opposition leaders should join BN Sarawak if they longed for the “big salary” he is getting now.
“Since they always say my salary is big, come join BN Sarawak. If they do not join BN Sarawak, they can join the (DAP) Penang government.
“Their (Penang government) salary is also big. Don’t tell me the Penang Chief Minister earns less than me,” pointed out Dr Sim.
He said he would not mind opposition leaders joining the state BN, adding: “I am happy if they can come to join us, work hard and produce results.”
“Otherwise they say they are cockerel, cannot lay eggs. Why? Because they fight but cannot get the results,” quipped Dr Sim.
Met by reporters later, he said BN elected representatives in the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) are each given Rural Transformation Programme (RTP) funds worth RM5 million and Minor Rural Project (MRP) funds worth RM4 million a year.
He said these funds were allocated to elected representatives of the BN ruling parties.
According to Dr Sim, who is also Batu Kawah assemblyman, the RM5 million RTP fund and RM4 million MRP fund “is as a start” given that elected representatives can fight for more funds, as and when necessary.
“We have the opportunities to fight for grants. (Like in Batu Kawah), over 1,300 (various organisations) have received the grants from me since last year. If I did not get elected, how am I going to help?” he said when met by reporters after handing out government grants to various organisations at the SUPP headquarters here.
Dr Sim, who is also a senator, disclosed that his senate fund was worth RM300,000 a term, which is three years.
He said a senator could request for more federal funding, which the federal government “can top up”.
“But you must justify (your request) because all grants given out are subject to audit. That’s why we cannot give grants to societies that are not registered.”
He lamented that the opposition tended to mislead the community by confusing RTP funds with other government funding for development purposes.
Apart from the RTP fund, he said the funding for schools came from the Education Ministry while the funding for government hospitals and clinics came from the Health Ministry.
To a question, Dr Sim said he could not reveal his ministerial grant.
“The YB (elected representative) grant is for the constituency while the ministerial fund is for Sarawak and the senate fund for the whole of Malaysia,” he added.
In his speech earlier, Dr Sim said he had given out government grants worth more than RM11 million to various organisations in Batu Kawah and Kuching since he was elected in the 2016 state election.