Rep: Julaihi should be accountable to the people

KUCHING: Assistant Minister of Coastal Road Datuk Julaihi Narawi should be accountable to the people instead of being evasive.

Padungan assemblyman Wong King Wei said Julaihi should not try to evade the issue on the Caostal Road and Second Trunk Road projects.

“As an assistant minister, Julaihi has to be accountable to the people and not to evade the issue. Sarawak Barisan Nasional government has inherited an Umno style of governance.”

Julaihi had told Wong and state DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen to wait for the outcome of an investigation by the Malaysian Anti- Corruption Commission ( MACC) on the projects before demanding for answers from the Sarawak government.

Wong said Julaihi was not the only one being evasive, the Minister of Infrastructure Development and Transportation Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing, who is also Deputy Chief Minister, had also acted similarly by warning Sarawakians not to go against the boss.

He said both Masing and Julaihi must change their mindset now that Malaysia has a new government at the federal level.

He reminded both the Sarawak cabinet members that the Pakatan Harapan (PH) federal government ‘ practises transparency and accountability’.

“Since the issue has been raised, and that the projects are going to be awarded by direct negotiation in favour of two companies, the minister and the assistant minister have a duty to answer,” Wong said.

He said Julaihi had been talking about everything else but nothing on the issue itself.

“The minister in- charge Tan Sri James Masing is even worse; he has been silent these days. What is the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Transportation for if both the minister and assistant minister can’t even answer matters concerning their ministry,” he asked,

Both the DAP leaders have previously wanted Julaihi to tell Sarawakians why the two mentioned projects were not awarded through open tender.

Responding to this, Julaihi said the DAP men should wait for the MACC to release the outcome of its investigation since Chong had lodged a report with MACC, and making wild allegations against the projects.

The assistant minister also claimed that the state DAP was never keen to help the rural folk because most of their supporters live in the urban areas.

Julaihi added that Sarawak DAP should focus on fulfilling the PH 100- day manifesto to ensure Sarawak regain its rights and interest.