PSB ‘amused by PRS Youth ‘twisting’ statements on MRP, RTP
KUCHING: Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) will continue the policy of granting Minor Rural Project (MRP) and Rural Transformation Programme (RTP) grants if such move succeeds in forming the next state government, says PSB secretary general George Lo.
He dismisses the recent assertion of Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) Youth, which he said twisted PSB’s statement regarding the MRP and RTP.
“We refer to our earlier press release on the unfairness of the selective grants of MRP and RTP by the GPS (Gabungan Parti Sarawak)-led government, which effectively punishes those constituencies that did not vote for GPS candidates as ADUNs (members of the State Legislative Assembly).
“We are amused to read that PRS Youth has managed to twist our statements on MRP and RTP; to come out with a totally false statement that PSB would abolish or cancel MRP if PSB is elected to form the next government of Sarawak.
“That is a complete fabrication – if they had bothered to read our earlier press release,” he said during a press conference at the PSB headquarters here yesterday.
Lo stressed that PSB would not abolish MRP and RTP should it become the next Sarawak government.
“In fact, we have stated unequivocally that, if PSB forms the next government of Sarawak, we would give out MRP and RTP to all Sarawak state constituencies. If that is not clear enough for PRS, we state for the record that all constituencies – meaning from N.1 Opar to N.82 Bukit Sari
– every single one would be given RTP and MRP (grants) regardless of whether the constituency is represented by a PSB ADUN or not.
“All the voters in every constituency is a son or daughter of Sarawak. Everyone is entitled to a fair share of Sarawak’s money. The voters in Opar, Padungan, Engkilili, Krian and others are all Sarawakians,” he stressed.
As such, Lo said it was unfair and unjust of the GPS-led government to deny the people of constituencies a share of Sarawak’s wealth just because they did not vote for GPS or its earlier identity under Barisan Nasional (BN).
He wondered why GPS thought that the government’s funds belonged to GPS to be doled out to areas that they favoured.
“Let us make it clear that PSB does not subscribe to that unjust way of thinking. The money belongs to the people, not to any political party. Those who get the grants need feel no gratitude to GPS. Those who are unfairly left out must question GPS why they are denied what is rightfully theirs,” he pointed out.
PSB opined that the money belonged to the people in Sarawak, regardless of their political inclination, he said.
“PSB represents an alternative to the current GPS party in that our approach will be dictated solely by what is fair and equitable. We will never punish any voter that does not agree with us. If they don’t vote for us, we will do our level best to win them over – but we will never punish anyone who decide to exercise his or her constitutional right to vote for some other party,” he said.