Budget 2020 fails to fulfill PH’s promises – Fadillah

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Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof

KUCHING: Although Budget 2020 sounds good, it actually fails to fulfil Pakatan Harapan (PH)’s manifesto promises to Sarawakians, opines Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) chief whip Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.

He points out that for example, in terms of development budget, Sarawak is to receive just RM4.4 billion compared with RM5.2 billion slated for Sabah.

“This total of RM9.6 billion for Sarawak and Sabah is only 17.1 per cent of the total development funds in the Budget 2020.

“The PH manifesto has promised that 30 per cent of development funds will be distributed to Sarawak and Sabah, but why only 17.1 per cent?” he questioned in a statement yesterday.

Fadillah also queried the rationality of Sarawak continuing to receive a much smaller allocation than Sabah, although it is the largest state with almost equal land mass with the peninsula.

“If this is how the Pakatan Harapan government gives allocations for Sarawak and Sabah, the desire to bridge the development gap between Sarawak, Sabah, and the peninsula does not seem possible in the near future especially in terms of infrastructure.

“This is because the Pakatan Harapan government itself is unable to fulfil what the manifesto had promised to the people of Sarawak,” he said.

On the provision for dilapidated schools, Fadillah said details of its implementation in Sarawak would be required.

According to him, this is because Sarawak has already paid RM350 million in advance for a total of RM1 billion as a contra; however, this is not detailed in the Budget 2020 presentation.

“We want the project to upgrade and rebuild the dilapidated schools in Sarawak to accelerate the welfare of the children and teachers so that the achievement of the children themselves can be improved,” he said.

Fadillah also noted that Budget 2020 did not cover PH Sarawak’s manifesto promise to restore 50 per cent of all taxes collected in Sarawak.

“There were no announcements at all. Where are the promises of the PH Sarawak manifesto?” he questioned.

According to Fadillah, the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) was not respected when the Minister of Finance touched on the review of grants for Sarawak and Sabah under Article 112D of the Federal Constitution.

“We welcome the intention of the federal government to raise the grant to Sarawak and Sabah, but has this been discussed, detailed, and approved at the level of the Technical Committee established?

“I believe that such matters need to be discussed at the Technical Committee level, refined, detailed and agreed upon, which only then can it be announced, not a decision unilaterally made.

“This is because the special grant rate is so different that Sabah is to receive RM106.8 million, compared to Sarawak’s RM64 million in five years,” he added.