Entrust S’wak depts to carry out federal projects, Putrajaya told

KUCHING: Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg yesterday called on the federal government to recognise the state’s utility and public works departments’ role as a technical department.

He said the state government should be given the power to carry out and implement federal-funded projects.

“We want the state Public Works Department (JKR) to be recognised as a technical department to be entrusted with carrying out federal-funded projects in Sarawak, instead of the federal JKR.

“We also want the state Rural Water Supply Department (JBALB) and state Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) to be recognised as technical departments that will be entrusted to implement federal-funded projects,” he said before officiating at Sarawakku Sayang programme here in Kabong.

He said there were delays in implementing numerous ‘Projek Rakyat’ in Sarawak due to “bureaucracy” and certain procedural requirements.

Adding on, the Premier said the federal bureaucracy system was inefficient because it was not suitable to be applied in Sarawak.

“Do you still remember when there was no clean water supply in Kabong? The federal government already allocated the funds for this project for Sarawak, which was under the Rural Development Ministry from Putrajaya, but they were too slow.

“Allocations had been given, but the funds at that time had not yet been received. That’s why I took over the project, I gave RM4 billion, we used our own funds to solve this.

“I went down here by myself at that time, and went down to the ground to see the problem. Now, you can see the outcome, it has been solved,” he added.

Abang Johari also explained that while Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) has succeeded in pushing for the amendments to Articles 1(2) and 160D(2) of the Federal Constitution to be passed in Parliament, he also wants the federal government to return the state’s power on the appointment of judicial commissioners.

He asserted that the right to vet and approve the appointment should not have been removed from the Federal Constitution.

“We also want our Head of State to have the power to appoint judicial commissioners of the High Court in Sarawak,” he said, adding that this power was removed when the Federal Constitution was amended many years ago.

“Whoever is the candidate for the judicial commissioner, they must be vetted by Sarawak first, which must also have the power to approve the appointment.”