S’pore perfect benchmark for Covid-19 aid, says See

KUCHING: It is perfectly relevant to consider Singapore as a benchmark when making comparison of Sarawak’s Covid-19 financial assistance allocation to that of the neighbouring country, said Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How.

He said this was because Singapore which had formed Malaysia together with Sarawak and Sabah in 1963, also had a culture and population that almost mirrored the state’s society.

“It was with this in mind that Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) through its president Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh had pointed out that the Singapore government was extensively helping the private sector.

“They had identified the private sector as the economic engine of the nation and provide major employment to the general population,” See said in a statement yesterday.

He said consequently, if these small businesses failed, this would lead to people losing employment and revering to seek assistance from the government.

“There is no separation between them and society because they are the society.

“Therefore, Dato Sri Wong correctly pointed out that the government could do more to support the businesses of the private sector to survive the Covid-19 pandemic which in turn will continue to employ workers,” he said.

The PSB presidential council member called out Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas for attacking PSB on the matter and resisting comparison with Singapore rather than acknowledging “this basic truth”.

“Surely, he cannot turn away to compare with states of less well to do. This is the time to help and save businesses,” he said.

See said he still goes on his usual walkabouts in his constituency during the Covid-19 pandemic and found it distressing to see small businesses struggling to achieve even half of their usual turnover.

“This is the tip of the iceberg. There are still many support industries of similar size who are also suffering big falls in turnover,” he added.

He said he was hopeful that the federal and state governments would see the necessity to support small businesses by including them in the 2021 National Budget and 2021 State Budget respectively, at least until the Covid-19 pandemic tide is over.

“Alas, save for the usual preelection goodies handed over to the usual suspects, there was no such consideration in both budgets for small businesses.

“The coming months will be difficult for them as the hope of a vaccine still looms on the horizon while other similarly affected countries, the nearest being Singapore, have made provisions for the small businesses sector,” he said.

He stressed that Sarawakians have to put food on the table and meet everyday commitments such as their children’s education and so on.

“The budget insists on lavish projects like hydrogen power, LRT and even boasts a surplus. This is definitely not the time to talk about lavish and unproven projects.

“We should be talking about preserving all Sarawakians, not least the workers and employees in the private sector, should enjoy a fair and equitable share of Sarawak’s wealth,” he said.

He also said provisions must be made to assist small, medium enterprises to save jobs; keep all Sarawakians employed during this trying time; and to sustain and maintain all Sarawakian families so that every Sarawakian will be able to persevere and weather the Covid-19 pandemic.

Uggah, on Friday, told the august House during the State Legislative Assembly sitting that it was inappropriate to compare Sarawak’s allocation for the Covid-19 pandemic financial assistance to that of Singapore’s.

He was responding to an issue raised by Wong on the need for the state government to spend more to assist the people, that the 2021 State Budget should provide large sums of allocation to implement various measures for the wellbeing of the people during the pandemic.