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Sri Wong Soon Koh Fact
KUCHING: Parti Sarawak Bersatu President Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh has challenged Senior Deputy Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas to prove to the public that the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) approved a Contingency Fund for the 2020 State Budget.
In response to Uggah’s claim that he was misleading the public when he questioned how the state government would finance the Sarawakku Sayang Special Assistance (BKSS) packages, he said that a 2019 State Budget Contingency Fund was approved, but not for this year.
“I say that there is no DUN-approved Contingency Fund in the 2020 Budget that can be used for aid packages of more than RM2 billion. If such a Contingency Fund exists, I challenge Uggah to point it out to the public.
“For Uggah’s benefit, in the 2019 Budget, there is a RM250 million Contingency Fund. But that is not for 2020 and it is only for RM250 million, which is well below the RM2 billion more needed for aid packages. Wong said in a statement.
Wong also noted that on April 10 Prime Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg had stated that “… the Sarawak government does not need to submit an additional supply invoice for all aid packages that have been announced. This is because the funds are already available through the DUN-approved Contingency Fund in the 2020 Budget. “
He said that the Chief Minister had stated clearly and unequivocally that aid packages could be paid for with contingency funds and that he was not referring to any other source of funds, but this, he said, was not true.
Wong said that Uggah had openly admitted today that the Chief Minister’s statement was false when he stated at DUN that “the sources of financing are, first, the Contingency Fund, second, the 2020 Development Budget (Microcredit Schemes ), thirdly, savings from unimplemented projects and savings from the Development Fund Account, and fourth, RM1 billion is using the Banco Negara (Special Aid Fund) fund. “
Wong also reiterated that the State Budgets for 2019 and 2020 had a massive deficit due to the huge sales tax deficit expected by Petroliam Nasional Berhad and the drastic drop in oil prices that would affect the state royalty of five percent of oil.
“Don’t fool our people in Sarawak that everything is fine when it comes to state finances. The government is spending far beyond our means and the government must be transparent to the Rakyat, “he said.
In the previous statement, Wong also challenged Uggah, who succeeded him as Deputy Finance Minister when he resigned last year, to repeat the accusations he made against him about Sarawak’s finances outside of DUN.
He said that he was very concerned about how Uggah had responded to the problems he had raised when Uggah said in the session: “… it is really disconcerting to see someone who had served as Second Minister of Finance in Sarawak for fifteen (15 ) years – so out of touch with the state financial system and much less with the financial mechanism he had supported before his resignation less than a year ago I can’t believe YB Bawang Assan chooses to lie and deceive the public that there a contingency reserve in the 2020 budget. “
Wong said he regretted that his good and noble intention to urge the state to manage its finances wisely had not been appreciated.
Uggah is certainly new to the job. But when I pointed out the lack of prudence in the proper handling and management of finances, Uggah should have the grace to accept mistakes and accept it with faith. “
“It is very regrettable that Uggah has acted and responded by saying that” I lie and deceive people. “If Uggah insists like this, I request that Uggah repeat his statement outside DUN that I have lied or deceived the public,” said Wong, who is Bawang Assan Assemblyman.
It is not uncommon for elected representatives to challenge their peers to repeat the accusations they made against them in the August House outside, where they are not protected by the privileges of the legislature and have no immunity from legal action.
Wong said that he and his party were very supportive of the relief packages for people affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and the state’s efforts through the three BKSS packages were appreciated.
“With my 15 years of service as Sarawak’s second finance minister, during which the state’s exceptional budget performance and creditworthiness were rated ‘A’ by S&P Global Ratings for several years, I had good intentions when I brought up the topic Los supplementary supply bills must be passed in DUN for the contingency reserve in Sarawak Budget 2020 so that this ‘A’ rating can be maintained for prudent decision-making and financial management, ”he insisted.
Wong therefore said that it was important for the state to return to the drawing board where DUN approves the finances and budget and that it was only fair for DUN to support a complementary bill for unforeseen finances or any contingency fund.
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