Chong Chieng Jen called out for ‘forgetting’ about PH cancelling federal projects while in power

KUCHING: A Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) man has called out Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen for either being ‘very forgetful’ or ‘pretending to forget’ about Pakatan Harapan (PH) having cancelled projects in Sarawak shortly after taking over the federal administration.

Chief political secretary to Sarawak Premier, Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman, said it was ‘sad and disappointing’ to see that DAP and PH were resorting to ‘denial and washing their hands of their sins’ in fishing for votes in Sarawak in the 15th general election (GE15).

“Chong is either very forgetful or pretends to forget that PH did cancel projects in Sarawak shortly after taking power.

“The fact of the matter is that the projects were cancelled in Sarawak and a number of them were later continued by the Sarawak state government,” he said in a statement yesterday, issued in response to Chong’s challenge to GPS leaders to name the federal-funded projects that the PH-led federal government had cancelled previously.

Fazzruddin, who is Tupong assemblyman, pointed out that not only had Chong admitted to PH having cancelled the projects, he also tried to spin the matter by labelling the desperately-needed infrastructure projects as ‘hot air projects’ in 2018.

“This was after he failed to fulfil his own promise of getting these projects continued, saying that he would bring them up personally to his party boss, then-DAP secretary-general and finance minister Lim Guan Eng, to get these projects to be continued.

“We could only speculate that his demands were shot down by his political masters; having to toe the party line and follow orders,” he added.

Fazzruddin also said that in 2019, Chong had not only admitted, again, that the projects were cancelled, but he also insulted the people of Sarawak by telling them not to be a ‘cry-baby’ over these cancelled projects.

He then pointed out Chong’s excuse about the cut in the budget for several projects that was necessary to save the country from bankruptcy.

“I ask Chong, does he now admit that these projects had been cancelled? Was it not him who told the people of Sarawak to not be a ‘cry-baby’ over these cancelled projects?”

“As far as the people of Sarawak are concerned, we neither forgive nor forget DAP and PH over their harsh treatment of Sarawak, despite their denial,” added Fazzruddin.