Douglas Uggah Embas
KUCHING: Deputy Chief MInister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas today said there is an allocation of RM500 million in Contingency Fund 2020, following a challenge from Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) president Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh.
“…for the information of the Rakyat, I wish to state that there is an allocation of RM500 millions in the Contingency Fund 2020, contrary to what is alleged by Dato Sri Wong,” Uggah said in a press statement today.
Wong had yesterday challenged Uggah, who was appointed as Second Finance Minister after Wong resigned from the post last year, to show to the public that the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) had approved a Contingency Fund for the 2020 State Budget.
Reacting to Uggah’s claim during the DUN sitting yesterday that he was misleading the public when he questioned how the state government financed the Sarawakku Sayang Special Assistance (BKSS) packages, Wong had said a Contingency Fund was approved for the 2019 State Budget but not for this year.
“I say that there is no Contingency Fund approved by the DUN in the 2020 Budget that can be used for the aid packages of more than RM2 billion. If there is any such Contingency Fund, I challenge Uggah to point it out to the public.
“For Uggah’s benefit, in the 2019 Budget, there is a Contingency Fund of RM250 million. But that is not for 2020 and that is only for RM250 million which is far short of the RM2 billion plus needed for the aid packages,” Wong had said in a statement.
In his reply today, Uggah also said that Wong should have attended the one-day DUN sitting yesterday so that he could seek clarification to his questions.
“Had he bothered to attend the sitting, he would have been given a fair opportunity and allow to seek clarification in the August House.
“The DUN, attended by lawmakers voted by the Rakyat, would have been the proper avenue for any discussion at the highest level,” said Uggah.
Before announcing the Contingency Fund allocation, Uggah said it was inappropriate to have a debate in the media with Wong as he felt it was disrespectful of the DUN and its members.