Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali
KUCHING: An assistant minister has today lashed out at DAP Sarawak Youth Secretary Dr Kelvin Yii for claiming that Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg had politicised the long-awaited repair of dilapidated schools in the state.
Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali, an Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department, said the state opposition party had politicised all of Sarawak’s efforts.
“The question that needs to be asked is who is the first to play politics on all matters. They (DAP) are the ones who politicised everything the state government wants to do.
“You can now eat your own medicine. You started the politics you brought from Malaya,” said Sharifah Hasidah, who is in-charge of law, state-federal relations and project monitoring, in response to Dr Yii’s allegation yesterday.
She pointed out that all Sarawak payments due to the Federal government were paid according to the agreed schedule but Putrajaya still insisted that the state pay up RM350 million first before the school repairs can begin.
“So now the State government has paid it. And now like them, we want to demand that the dilapidated schools project, as promised, be given priority and carried out soones,” said the Semariang assemblywoman.
Sharifah Hasidah said the welfare and well-being of children are of utmost priority and demanding quick action from the Federal government was not politics.
“Please expediently take the necessary actions and process all necessary tendering exercise expeditiously. No more excuses and U-turns. Please do not say our chief minister politicised this matter. You guys started the political game,” she argued.
Dr Yii, who is Bandar Kuching MP, said in a press statement yesterday that Abang Johari continuously and deliberately played politics over education matters.
He said Abang Johari was well aware of the agreed terms and mechanism including the need for open tender and proper monitoring of projects to repair the schools.
As such, he said based on public statements, the State Government had paid the RM350 million on August 4 and Dr Yii said they could not expect the Federal government to immediately start work on the schools without going through the necessary process.