Yong questions frequent hydrogen bus breakdowns
VIOLET Yong (DAP-Pending) yesterday questioned the state government on the frequent breakdowns of the hydrogen buses in the city.
She said the buses, since it was launched two years ago, require major maintenance services on a regular basis by foreign experts.
“If these hydrogen buses keep breaking down, how are we going to expect the public transport system to run effectively or to be run efficiently?
“This will definitely affect the number of ridership resulting in less revenue,” she said when debating the State Budget 2023.
While referring to the state government’s plan to acquire at least 100 hydrogen buses to complement the automated rapid transit (ART) public transport system with costs totalling between RM400 and RM500 million, Yong urged the government to focus on simpler projects to improve public transport system, such as improving existing bus routes and having efficient bus rapid transit in place. On another matter, she urged the state government to break up the monopoly market of cement supply in the state.
Cement shortage, she said, will result to the rising prices of building materials and thus, affecting the construction industry.
“One of the ways to solve it is for the Sarawak state government to remove the monopoly market and practise free market economies by letting other manufacturers and suppliers to kick in, so that the cement supply could be normalised and price of cement stays competitive,” she said.
Touching on the issue of stateless children in the state, Yong said there have been cases of six previously stateless children who were issued identity cards but without the status ‘K’.
She said appeal was made to the State Secretary to reconsider awarding the children with the ‘K’ status since they were born in the state and their adoptive parents are Sarawakians.
“This matter needs to be put right immediately and the State Secretary and the Immigration office need to recognise the adoption status of these children as the conclusive evidence that their Sarawak connection has been established,” said Yong.
She also asked the state government to resolve the immediate issue of foreign workers shortage in the state, with excessive red tapes and bureaucracy hampering the speedy hiring of workers.
Yong also urged the state government to provide free electricity to Sarawakians, considering the fact that the state government is planning to sell electricity to Kalimantan, Indonesia with an estimated RM11.035 billion in sales revenue next year.