Uggah: Kuching and Kuala Lumpur have good working relationship

KUCHING: Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas has thanked the Prime Minister for listening to Sarawak’s request to form a joint committee between the Sarawak and federal governments.

“This is a reflection of the close working relationship between Kuching and Kuala Lumpur, Uggah told thesundaypost in a telephone interview.

Uggah was commenting on Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg’s revelation on the formation of the special joint committee between the Sarawak and federal governments.

Uggah said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had earlier announced that Federal Works Minister Baru Bian would represent the federal government in the committee which was without a Sarawak government representative.

“When PM made his announcement that they are forming a committee to monitor federal government projects, they appoint for every state and for Sarawak, PM appointed YB Baru Bian. In response to that, Sarawak government appealed it should be a joint committee, and we are thankful to PM for listening to Sarawak, “he explained.

Uggah said his main task will be to monitor the development of federal government projects in Sarawak.

“To monitor mainly on the implementation because a lot of these projects have to involve Land and Survey Department, Resident Office, and so on. That’s why we feel that we should be cochairman of the committee,” he explained further.

In fact, when serving previously as minister at the federal level, Uggah used to monitor the prime minister’s walkabout projects in Sarawak.

“At one time I was monitoring prime minister’s walkabout projects, after that they appoint Datuk Seri Joseph Entulu and Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, (but) that was only monitoring PM walkabout projects but this one is monitoring whatever projects approved by federal government,” Uggah added.

Uggah said he does not have any details yet as the news was only broken to him Friday night.

“I haven’t got the term of reference, that will be one of the main concerns,” he said, when informed that there are so many sick federal projects such as Petra Jaya Hospital and the infamous Tanjung Manis water supply.

The Chief Minister made the announcement when speaking at an appreciation dinner held for retiring Federal Secretary Dato’ Mansor Man at a leading hotel on Friday night.

Mansor will officially retire from the civil service effective May 13 2019 after serving for 1 year and 9 months in Sarawak.