Supplementary Supply (2015) Bill passed

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Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh

Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh

KUCHING: The State Legislative Assembly (DUN) yesterday passed the Supplementary Supply (2015) Bill, 2016 for the third supplementary estimates of ordinary expenditure 2015 comprising an additional sum of RM97,328,472.

Second Finance Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh tabled the bill which was seconded by Welfare, Women and Community Wellbeing Minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah.

According to him, the additional expenditure was to meet the cost of various services incurred by various ministries and departments for which funds were not provided or insufficiently provided for in the 2015 estimates.

On the other hand, under the second supplementary estimates of development expenditure 2015, he noted that there were 50 sub activities and 77 sub-sub activities for which the additional provisions were required.

“The total additional allocation required is RM54,915,000. The amount required has been vied from savings among the sub heads concerned or advanced from the contingency fund,” he said at the 18th State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting yesterday.

When tabling the bill, Wong also responded to questions raised by Chong Chieng Jen (DAP-Kota Sentosa) regarding three activities stated in Command Paper II of 2016 concerning the safety requirements of chartered air services in the state; additional fund of RM7 million to Yayasan Sarawak; and additional fund of RM5.5 million which were sought for to meet the payment for the state’s major celebrations.

“In regards to chartered air services, this agreement and charges are centralised in the Chief Minister’s Department for central contract management but the service is utilised by all members of the administration as well as government departments.

“The Chief Minister’s Department is only the title for expenditure head to capture all expenditures for the chief minister, deputy chief ministers, assistant ministers, 27 political secretaries as well as state secretaries, two deputy state secretaries, senior officers within 19 units of Chief Minister’s Department with a total staff strength of 957,” he explained, adding that the general office administration has an additional sum of RM28,600,155 required to meet payment of utility charges, rental of aircraft, entertainment and hospitality, expenses and medical expenses.

As for the safety requirements of chartered air services, Wong said the state government had to follow stringent requirements set by the civil aviation.

“Accidents do happen. There’s nothing much we can do but I’m sure all pilots will try their best to adhere to the very stringent requirement set by the civil aviation.”

On the additional sum of RM7 million required to meet payment of operating grant to Yayasan Sarawak, he pointed out that this was to cater operating expenditure, asset purchases and maintenance of Centre for Technical Excellence (Centex) building which is used for technical education for the youths.

“As for the additional sum of RM5.5 million approved by the cabinet on Feb 26, 2015, this was required to cover the cost of implementing the state’s major celebrations; namely the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s birthday celebration; Merdeka month celebration and Jalur Gemilang campaign; Merdeka Day in Limbang; the Yang di-Pertua Negeri’s birthday celebration in Sibu; and Malaysia Day celebration in Betong.”

Chong had earlier also queried if the RM5.5 million was used for Sejiwa Senada programmes to help BN campaign during the state election and to this, Wong said it was nothing of that sort.

“The full sum was advanced again from the contingency fund. It is nothing about Sejiwa Senada,” he clarified.

Meanwhile, later at a press conference Wong said Chong should not have brought up matters concerning safety of aircrafts and so on.

“These are not under my purview. I’m (only) presenting additional estimates. What he could have questioned is how the money was spent.

“(I think) he probably questioned why the Chief Minister had used so much funds. But it is not the Chief Minister. For our accounting purposes, the Chief Minister’s Department is used as the head to capture all the helicopter and aircraft usage by all people in the administration, departments and also the elected representatives,” he stressed.