KUCHING: Political secretary to the chief minister Tan Kai should not try to confuse the people by saying that Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) assemblypersons “do not have the RM5-million allocation”.
In giving this advice yesterday, Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Chong Chieng Jen said Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg had announced that GPS assemblypersons had access to RM5 million worth of Rural Transformation Programme (RTP) funds and RM2 million of Minor Rural Project (MRP) funds.
“His (Tan’s) statement contradicted what Abang Johari said. The chief minister has said all the 72 GPS ADUNs (state assemblypersons) have RM5 million RTP funds and RM2 million MRP funds.
“On top of that, GPS assistant ministers are given RM3 million MRP funds while ministers have RM4 million MRP funds. State MRP funds are at the disposal of GPS ADUNs, assistant ministers and ministers.
“RTP funds are also at the discretion of every ADUN of GPS. The procedures may be a bit different but it is for the GPS ADUNs to submit their applications for the funds,” he said at a press conference at the Democratic Action Party (DAP) headquarters here.
Chong, who is Stampin MP and Kota Sentosa assemblyman, said GPS assemblypersons could apply for the funds through the District Office (DO).
For instance, he said if a school wanted to upgrade its toilets or classrooms, GPS assemblypersons could either submit the proposed project to the DO for assessment, approval and implementation, or they could allocate a grant of RM5,000 or RM10,000 for the school’s Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), which should engage a contractor to implement the project.
He said what GPS assemblypersons are getting “is huge money if compared to PH (Pakatan Harapan) MPs”.
He pointed out that PH MPs were allocated only RM500,000 while deputy ministers had access to additional funds of RM750,000.
“It is not very proper and not very honest for Mr Tan Kai to say that they do not have the RM5-million allocation.
“He expressly contradicted what the chief minister said.”
He said he was still waiting for both Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian and Batu Kitang assemblyman Lo Khere Chiang to provide him with a list of recipients who had been granted the funds last year.
He said Lo, who is Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) chairman, and Dr Sim had RM7 million and RM9 million worth of funds, respectively, at their disposal.
He added that these amounts are yet to include the allocations given to MPP and Dr Sim’s ministry.
“They have to give us the list of who received how much of the funds. Until today, they fail to account for it in detail. I urge the two of them to come clean,” said Chong.
He said Tan made the statement during a dinner last week which he also attended.