Chong ‘mincing words’ to cover up failure to deliver ‘20 pct’ promise, says Idris Buang

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Dato Idris Buang

KUCHING: Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Information chief Dato Idris Buang yesterday called out Pakatan Harapan (PH) Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen for ‘mincing words’ in attempting to cover up PH’s failure to fulfil the promise of giving Sarawak 20 per cent in oil royalty and 50 per cent of tax revenue collected in the state.

According to him, Chong’s claim during a press conference on Sunday that the promise made by PH in its election manifesto was on the condition that the Sarawak government assumed fiscal responsibility over education and health, was contrary to what he had said previously.

“Just watch some of the videos readily available in the public domain where he (Chong) clearly promised all those things like 20 per cent royalty, 50 per cent income tax collected in Sarawak and others.

“All of these promises were made unconditionally as proven by one of the videos, and this is therefore contrary to his latest statement,” said the Muara Tuang assemblyman in a statement issued to the press.

In his press conference on Sunday, Chong had read excerpts from the agreement offered by PH to the Sarawak government in 2018, which stated under ‘Fiscal Decentralisation: Taxation and Public Revenues’ that PH would give 20 per cent oil and gas royalties or value equivalent as well as 50 per cent of all tax collected in Sarawak back to the state, if Sarawak took over autonomy in education and health.