Fair Distribution of Developments and Fund Allocations Does Not Exist in Sarawak

On 21st August 2009, Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal when speaks during one of the function that he attended during his official visits to Sarawak annaunced that Sarawak has been allocated RM3.7 billion by the federal government for various rural development projects from this year until 2012.

“For 2009 alone, my ministry was allocated RM103 million for housing assistance schemes in Sarawak. For power supply in rural areas, we will implement projects worth RM250 million. RM91 million will be for village roads, RM5 million for road lighting and RM90 million for water supply. All in all, my ministry is allocated almost RM500 million for projects in Sarawak,” he said.  

About one month earlier on 27 July 2009  during his visit to Sarawak, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had announced  RM 4 billion extra allocations to double the rural roads planned for Sarawak and Sabah from 750km to 1,500km.

But will these extra allocations be spent according to the plan or as it intended to, or they will only benefit the people of Betong, Mukah and Miri the hometown of Sarawak most popular three stooges Jabu, Taib and George Chan.

Barisan Nasional Sarawak without doubt is expert in diverting the allocations from Federal government for other porposes and places. If we still remember, Sekolah Teknik Betong originally was planned for Sri Aman but shifted to Betong by Jabu after the allocation was approved. SCORE (Taib blue eyes Project) has been used by Taib Mahmud  to channel Sarawak's monies/allocations from Federal Government. Such practices by these three stooges has caused the development in Sarawak not fairly distributed.

This can be seen clearly if one takes a ride/drives from Kuching to Miri. Between Balai Ringin through Sri Aman town until Jelukong, one will realise that there is no development project taking place here, compare to the development from Betong until Miri. Of these places, one should be able to tell that the development in Sarawak is only centered in SCORE zone. But what will happen to the people from P202 and N25? Do they have to wait for another 46 years until the development can reach their area? Just like what happened to the allocation for Sekolah Menengah Teknik, the additional allocation promised by Najib will be used in SCORE by Taib unless the Federal government establishes  the  mechanism to distribute the allocation.

Other than popular in diverting the allocations by Federal Government , Barisan Nasional Sarawak also

popular in diverting the Minor Rural Project (MRP) and Special Development Fund (SDF)  funds allocated to the constituencies represent by the opposition MPs to the other constituencies (of course represent by BN MPs) just like what happened to the SDF which was allocated for Bandar Kuching.  The member of parliament (MP) YB Chong Chieng Jen, during his interviewed with Borneo Post on 4th September 2009 said the SDF for Banadar Kuching Of the total, RM610,000 was allocated to NGOs, RM450,000 to surau and mosques, RM200,000 to courses for teachers and students, RM100,000 to poor students, RM90,000 to the poor and RM50,000 to JKKK for emergency projects.

“I was informed that many of the NGOs who received part of the RM610,000 are not within the parliamentary constituency of Bandar Kuching. They are, for instance, RM30,000 for an NGO in Tupong, RM15,000 one in Lawas and RM50,000 went to Mukah,” YB Chong said.

And yesterday, 2nd October 2009, A DAP supporter and voter in the Bandar Kuching parliamentary constituency has lodged a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), alleging abuse of power by the state development officer in the distribution of a RM1.5mil allocation by the Federal Government to the constituency. Sim Poh Kheng, 30, alleged that the officer had used much of the allocation for other areas and as far as Limbang, Lawas and Mukah.

YB Chong, who met the press later, was fuming mad that the allocation for his constituency had allegedly been distributed by the officer to other areas.

“The annual special development fund allocated to my constituency by the Federal Government has been channeled to the state development office (at Wisma Bapa Malaysia) since 2004. These funds are given to Barisan Nasional MPs directly, but for constituencies held by the Opposition the funds have to be channeled to the state development office, an agency under the implementation coordination unit (ICU) of the Prime Minister’s Department for distribution and implementation. However, most of the funds for the Bandar Kuching parliamentary constituency have been distributed to other areas,”  he alleged, claiming that he was informed of this by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nor Mohamed Yakcop.

Jalau MP Joseph Salang , who is also the Deputy Minister of Information, Communication and Culture, had some time ago also complained about federal funds that were meant for rural areas being diverted elsewhere.

“This money must be rightly spent as there are reasons why the money was allocated,” he said, advising state implementing agencies to follow federal directives in reference to a RM4bil allocation that has been given to upgrade rural infrastructure in Sarawak.

As I said earlier, in Sarawak it has become a normal practice to divert such funds to areas outside the constituency they were intended for. If the federal government doesn't  want to see that the additional RM4 billion allocations is not diverted to the other places for other purposes, some mechanism must be establish to control and monitor the distributions of the fund.

 
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