Sarawak to provide funds for BN MPs – Abang Jo
KUCHING: The 19 Barisan Nasional (BN) parliamentarians will be given funds by the state government to enable them implement development projects and also run the service centres in their respective constituencies.
This is confirmed by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg, who is also BN Sarawak chairman.
“Just like the assemblymen, each of them will be given the same amount of annual allocation,” he told reporters after the launch of Sarawak State Mosques Welfare Trust Board (LAKMNS)’s ecemetery web at Masjid Jamek here yesterday.
According to Abang Johari, every BN MP would receive an annual allocation of RM1 million for the minor rural project (MRP) grant, and RM5 million for the rural transformation programme (RTP) grant, from the state government. It is also announced that each parliamentarian would also receive an allocation of RM250,000 per year from the state government for them to manage their respective service centres. The state BN government has decided to give out the funds to its MPs in view of them being in the opposition at federal level; thus, they might be deprived of federal funding. The federal Pakatan Harapan (PH)-led government has yet to make any decision on the allocation for the opposition MPs; during the BN rule, the opposition MPs and assemblymen were not given any allocation.
The announcement by Abang Johari was met with approval and relief by several BN MPs in the state who were contacted by The Borneo Post yesterday.
“It is indeed a wise move by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg to provide the necessary funding for our constituents, who are mostly rural people. The funding will definitely ease the burden of the 19 BN MPs in Sarawak, for them to serve the people,” said BN secretary-general Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi.
He also expressed his hope that the present federal government would continue to assist in the development of the rural areas in Sarawak, despite the state’s status now in the opposition.
Nanta – the former deputy minister of rural and regional development – pointed out that under the BN-led federal government, the states under the opposition also received assistance whenever the needs arose.
“Normally, the funds were channelled either to the district offices or to the village security and development committees (JKKKs) upon the approval of their requests. So, there was never any discrimination against any opposition state then,” said Nanta.
He disclosed that under the BN-led federal government, a BN backbencher was allocated with RM6 million worth of ‘People-Friendly Projects’ (PMR) fund, RM1.5 million for special projects, RM400,000 as emergency fund and an additional RM100,000 for the service centre.
“On top of that, each MP could seek financial assistance from specific ministries for specific usae. Like in my case before, my (then) ministry could approve funding for various needs of the longhouses folk, such as village drainage and roofing for longhouses,” he said.
Former natural resources and environmental minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the ministry had allocated funds to the previously opposition-led states such as Penang, Selangor and Kelantan, when the country was under BN administration.
“We hope that the PH-led government would be fair to the people, especially those living in the rural areas. Critical projects should continue and be implemented for the benefit of the people. Critical projects such as drainage and street lightings should not be stopped or hindered due to the change in administration.
“While we can’t comment on the PH-led federal government, at least our state government has given the assurance that critical projects will go on,” he stressed.