State budget has ‘black hole’, says DAP

KUCHING: The state government’s 2012 budget as announced by Chief Minister and Minister of Finance Abdul Taib Mahmud on Monday has a big ‘black hole’ that sucks in everything, said Chong Chieng Jen, DAP state assemblyman for Kota Sentosa.

Chong who is also Sarawak Pakatan Rakyat’s shadow minister of finance was referring to an allocation of RM1.7 billion out of RM3,263 million development fund towards approved agencies trust fund.

More than 50% of the development fund go to these ‘faceless’ agencies which the Opposition had wanted to know in the past few years.

“Nobody knows what these agencies are? And I have been asking the same question for the past few years as to which agencies are using these funds that have repeatedly appeared in the State Development Expenditure allocated to the Ministry of Finance.

In 2007, the allocation under this heading was RM1,257,000,000, and in 2008 it was increased to RM1,719,083,100, and 2009 to RM1,825,061,000.

For 2010, the fund went down to RM1,072,409,800, and this year it went up again to RM1,416,475,000.

For next year, the government’s contribution towards the approved agencies trust fund has been increased to RM1.7 billion.

Chong said: “Despite the large sums being allocated to this item in the budget year after year, the state government refuses to provide details of the agencies which have received funding under the heading.

“The Legislative Assembly is not informed of the identity of these recipients, thus rendering it impossible to supervise the utilisation of the funds allocated this heading.

“As such, the executive, especially the Chief Minister, since he is the Finance Minster, is not accountable for the money allocated under this heading,” he said, pointing out that it is absurd that details of the allocation of expenditure for an amount of as small as RM1200 are clearly spelt out in the budget while a huge amount exceeding RM1 billion is not properly accounted for.

“This defies the basic principle of political and financial accountability in a democratic system,” Chong said, pointing out that the opacity of this item makes it extremely susceptible to being abused.

He said: “Under the principle of accountability and transparency, the PR Sarawak (government) will put an end to such clandestine fiscal allocations.

“This allocation (RM1.7 billion) in 2012 will be spread out amongst the other ministries,” he said.

On allocations to various ministries, Chong said that the Land Development Ministry headed by James Masing should be dissolved as it gets zero allocation for development next year.

“For the fifth year running, Masing’s ministry has no estimate at all for development fund. All other ministries have some development funds.

“Even the most junior ministry, the Ministry of Welfare, Women and Family Development headed by Fatimah Abdullah has RM2.3 million for its development fund,” said Chong.

He said that the zero fund for Masing’s ministry seemed to confirm the Pakatan Rakyat’s alternative budget announced last Saturday.

“I mentioned in my budget launched last Saturday that the Land Ministry should be dissolved as it overlaps with the Ministry of Rural Development, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Planning and Resource Management.

“I thought with Masing being promoted to a senior minister his ministry at least should have some funding, and next year will be the fifth year it has no development fund.

“It has only RM3 million plus for the salaries of the staff in the ministry. So his ministry should be dissolved and Masing’s elevation and promotion to a senior minister is just a political stunt in order to make him happy and feel more important.

“What can you do without such fund? You go to office, surf internet and go back. You don’t have project.

“So Masing should go on retirement and his ministry be dissolved,” suggested Chong.

Baru Bian calls for referendum

KUCHING: A Sarawak PKR leader today supported a call for a referendum to find out how many federal ministers and those involved in education policy-making are sending their children overseas to study English.

“There is a suggestion by certain quarters that there should be a referendum among the federal ministers where and which schools they are sending their children to.

“I support this suggestion so that we know where they send their children to. Are they sending their children overseas to learn English?” asked state PKR Chief Baru Bian.

He was reacting to the announcement made by Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin that starting from next year all schools will start using Bahasa Malaysia to teach mathematics and science.

“With this referendum, then we can see whether these ministers are sincere or they just want to make it (using Bahasa Malaysia to teach mathematics and science) just a political issue,” he said.

Bian, who is the Ba’Kelalan assemblyman said: “As a father and a PKR leader, we would like to make a stand regarding the change of education policy as announced by the Minister of Education that the teaching of mathematics and science should be changed back to the use of Bahasa Malaysia.

“An earlier indication from the school was that that they were given option. But now the use of Bahasa Malaysia to teach mathematics and science is absolute and without any option.

“Looking at the history of ministers of education, each one of them would come with a different kind of policy when he took over the ministry, resulting in very inconsistent educational policies.

“Our stand is that you should stick to one policy only as changing it mid-term is really making it worse for our people,” said Bian, pointing out that the government had not learnt from the past.

“Secondly, we must understand we are now moving in the global village as it were that English is one of the common languages used to communicate to day in the pursuit of knowledge of science and global issues,” he said.

As the country is approaching the 13^th general election, he said: “It is irresistible conclusion, as a lawyer would say that the minister is using it as a political issue to gain political mileage.

“As a minister for all races, he should not use it as a political issue. It is not fair to other people,” he said.

Commenting on the same issue, Sarawak DAP leader Chong Chieng Jen described the change of teaching mathematics and science from English back to Bahasa Malaysia as a step backward.

“We are all concerned as this is a step backward,” said Chong who is the state DAP secretary, pointing out that “it is a great burden for our students who have to study mathematics and science in Bahasa Malaysia from Form One right to Form Five, and then to English in Lower and Upper Six.

“It would be better for the students in secondary schools to be taught in English in mathematics and science as we are laying the foundation for them to go to colleges and universalities.

“All research materials for engineering, medicine and science subjects are in English. It will be a great burden for our students,” he said.

Chong, who is the MP for Bandar Kuching, accused certain ministers of overzealous over the importance of Bahasa Malaysia.

“Bahasa Malaysia is our national language. It is important, but we have to understand that the country is not an island. We are playing in global fields,” he said, pointing out that the government has to be more practical about this issue.

“If our economy is strong, not only our people will start to learn Bahasa Malaysia, foreigners will also start learning the language.

“Just like China now where a lot of foreigners are learning Mandarin because her economy is strong. But when the economy is weak, you cannot be overzealous about Bahasa Malaysia.,” he said.

Chong also expressed his deep disappointment that starting next near all government departments and agencies must use Bahasa Malaysia as their official communication.

“For Sarawak that is a stupid move,” he said, pointing out that in Sarawak, Bahasa Malaysia, English and native languages can be used alongside each other.

“This is written in our Malaysian agreement,” he said.

DAP to contest Serian seat

18 Oct 2011


SERIAN: The Serian Parliamentary constituency is likely to see a straight fight between DAP-Pakatan Rakyat and SUPP-BN in the coming state election.

“This is because Pakatan Rakyat has agreed to DAP contesting the Serian seat,” said Sarawak DAP Secretary Chong Chieng Jen at the opening of Serian DAP service centre.

DAP has identified a number of potential Bidayuh candidates for the Serian seat against the incumbent from Sarawak United People’s Party Richard Riot who is certain to go for his sixth term as an MP.

The constituency has 29,963 voters, with 24,540 Bidayuh voters, and there are 3,216 Chinese voters, and the rest are Malays and Ibans.

Chong, who is the Kota Sentosa assemblyman said that DAP has now revived its branch in Serian under the leadership of Edward Luak, who is the chairman of the DAP branch here.

“With more people coming in to join the party, Serian is now moving on the right track, and from here we are moving to another milestone, that is, Serian will be contested by DAP.

“We will give the Barisan Nasional a good fight and a run for their money,” said Chong, urging members and supporters to put 101% efforts to ensure that Pakatan Rakyat will capture the Serian seat.

On the service centre, he said that it will serve as an operation that will play an important role in the coming general election.

In opening the centre, Lim Kit Siang, DAP national adviser, asked Sarawakians: “What can you get by joining DAP?

“It will not be able to offer you material benefits, to give you tenders, timber concessions or to give you big cars.

“No, DAP cannot give you that, but it can give you an opportunity to serve the people of Sarawak and Malaysia and to ensure that justice and freedom prevail in the country.

“That is our duty,” Lim said, asking every member to be patient, diligent and committed.

“We must have the determination to ensure justice and freedom prevail, and this is our biggest challenge,” he added, pointing out that it took the party 28 years to claim six seats in the 2006 state election, and 45 years to make an impact in Peninsular Malaysia.

Now the six seats have now increased to 12 seats, he said.

Lim said that their mission is not to topple the state government as it had already held its state election.

“We are going to change the Federal government and its policies, and when the Federal Government is changed, the state is certain to change, a fundamental change.

“And only then you can see the full operations of democracy, freedom and justice in the country,” he said.

Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim DAP national vice-chairman, who was present at the function, told the people to regard their votes as their most valuable ‘properties’.

“Don’t sell your votes. Your votes are your most valuable properties. If you throw away your votes, then you lose your power to bring change to the government.

“The coming general election is very important. It is an opportunity for you to change the government.

“Malaysia and Sarawak need change after 50 years or so under the Barisan Nasional rule,” he said, adding that they should not complain, if they do not want to change.

National budget is full of propaganda, says Chong

KUCHING: Sarawak DAP has described as propaganda Prime Minister Najib Razak’s proposed budget which he claims will be the driving force to drive Malaysia into a high income society in 2012.

“This is a mere propaganda,” said Chong, DAP Secretary, when commenting on the proposed budget 2012 announced by the Prime Minister.

Najib had said that the budget would be inclusive, people-centric and accelerate the transformation efforts.

“It will be another milestone towards a developed and high income economy by 2020,” Najib said.

Reacting to this Chong said: “Since Najib made the announcement of new economic model (NEM) back in March 2010, Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), Government Transformation Programme (GTP) and other plans, we have not seen any benefit coming out from the announcement of such economic models.

“A lot of slogans and a lot mega economic models and yet we have not seen the benefit coming from such announcements.

“Instead we feel the pinch with the increase in prices of sugar and RON97,” said Chong who is the MP for Bandar Kuching.

He said that sugar was RM1.45 per kilo in December 2009, but now it is RM2.30 per kilo. Likewise, RON97 was RM2.10 per litre in July in 2010. Today it is RM2.90 per litre.

He said that car owners are forced to change to use sub-standard petrol.

“My questions to Najib are. Has he overspent during the Sarawak state election in order to lure voters to vote for the Barisan Nasional?

“Has he spent too much in 1Malaysia parties, 1Malaysia gifts, and 1Malaysia lucky draws so much so that now he has to increase the petrol and sugar prices in order to pay the debts over the expenditure of 1Malaysia parties,” he said.

That seemed to be the case especially when the prices of sugar and petrol have been increased just after the Sarawak state election, said Chong who is the newly elected Kota Sentosa assemblyman.

Asked whether it is an election budget, he said that every year Najib made slogans saying that ‘1Malaysia: the people first and performance now’.

He said that in the proposed budget Najib also mentioned the same thing that ‘people first and performance now’.

“This is May and five more months before the budget will be presented, he has already made the same slogan ‘people first performance now’.

“This is all hot airs,” Chong added.

Quoting a report of the World Bank, he said that brain drain from the country continues, and Sarawak is one of the worst scenario cases.

“In the report, Sarawak’s brain drain is among the worst of the worst. This is because it lacks job opportunities and high costs of living with very low pay,” he said.

Chinese New Year visits (3 feb 2011)

Pictures taken during the first day Chinese New Year visit to YB Chong Chieng Jen, the DAP Secretary and MP for Bandar Kuching and to YB Dominique Ng, the PKR state assemblyman for Padungan.

Mr Baru Bian, State Liaison Chief for PKR Sarawak (2nd right) at YB Chong's house

YB Chong Chien Jen (seated 2nd right) chatting with his guests

YB Dominic Ng posing for a group photo with his guests

Sarawak DAP expresses shocks

(This story was first published by Free Malaysia Today and it is reproduced here for the readers of The Broken Shield)

KUCHING: Sarawak Democratic Action Party has expressed shocks that Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud does not know what the Chinese community wants even after 30 years he has been at the helm of the state government.

“Many, including myself, shocked when we read from the papers last week that the chief minister indicated that he does not know what the Chinese community wants.

“After 30 years as chief minister of Sarawak, it is just simply absurd that Taib does not know what the Chinese community in Sarawak wants.

“What has the chief minister been doing in the past 30 years?

“Rather, what have the chief minister’s counterparts in Sarawak United People who claim to represent the Chinese community on the government been doing in the past 30 years?” asked Chong Chieng Jen, DAP secretary in a letter to the Chief Minister.

Copies of the letter were distributed to the Press today. A copy was sent to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

He said that a statement like this coming from the chef minister in power for 30 years simply meant that Taib “has failed as a chief minister for all Sarawakians.”

“Let me, as a member of the Opposition and also as a Sarawakian, inform the chief minister what the Chinese community in Sarawak wants. Many of the things what they want as listed herein below are also what a common Sarawakian, a non-Chinese, wants of a state government,” he said.

The list includes the following:

• Amendment to the Sarawak Land Code to provide for (a) automatic free renewal of land leases for another 99 years upon expiry of the terms of leases, and (b) all section 47 notification shall lapse and cease to be of any effect on the expiry of two years after the date of its publication in the gazette if the government does not acquire the subject land within the said two-year period.
• A fair and transparent land policy whereby the alienation of state land for commercial purpose ought to be done through open tender system. This is the stark contrast with what has been practised nowadays whereby the chief minister’s family members’ companies have been alienated with large parcels of state land at very low prices, for example:

(i) Lots 9192, 9193 &9194 all of Block 11MTLD, a total of 269 acres of land in BDC, Kuching alienated to Monarda S/B (YAB’s son’s company) at RM291,000 per acre when the prevailing market prices of such land is easily RM1.5 million –RM2 million per acre;

(ii) 33 acres of land at Jalan Batu Lintang, Kuching alienated to Naim Cendera (YAB’s cousin’s company) at RM909,000 per acre when the prevailing market price of such land is easily RM2 million – RM2.5 million per acre;

(iii) Lot 1208 Puyut Land District (10,000ha) alienated to Polar Red S/B (YAB’s son’s company), a dormant company;

(iv) Lot 1210 Puyut Land District (5,000ha), alienated to Magna Wide S/B in 2008, (YAB’s brother’s company), a dormant company; and

(v) Lot 79 Block 5 Balingian Land District (6,358 ha), alienated to Worldsign Harvest S/B (YAB’s sister’s company) a dormant company.

All state government procurement contracts be awarded through open tender where all suppliers and contractors can tender and compete on equal footing. This is also in stark contrast with the practice nowadays whereby Taib’s family-related companies almost enjoy a monopoly control over state government contracts involving millions of ringgit Malaysia.

Annual allocation of funds from the state budgets for the development and maintenance of Chinese middle schools, Chinese primary schools and missionary schools.

Timber concession licences to be awarded for small areas (1000 – 2000 acres per licence) and through open tender system so that all those who are involved in sawmill or wood industry will have a chance to obtain the raw material (timber log) first-hand.

Cheaper electricity for domestic, commercial and industrial uses. This is especially so given that Bakun dam will be in operation soon and that hydro-electricity is cheap. Further more, it is most unfair to the local consumers, businessmen and industrialists that SESCO is selling electricity to Press Metal Berhad at such cheap price of approximately RM0.10 per KwH, while the local consumers, businessmen and industrialists have to pay approximately RM0.30 per KwH for electricity.

Local councils be given sufficient funds to provide proper maintenance of basic infrastructure eg. street lightings, drains and roads.

There shall not be any control or restriction on the production of cement in Sarawak and the importation of cement from West Malaysia to Sarawak.

Fairer treatment and better representation of the Chinese in the civil service. Of late, not only the Chinese are unfairly treated, but also the locals as well. The state government agencies, especially SESCO, is employing foreigners as sky-high remuneration rates on the one hand, but in comparison, the locals who are working at comparable posts are paid pittance, eg. the record-breaking US$1.2 million annual salary for the Norwegian CEO of SESCO. This is an insult to our local talents.

Cancel the imposition of 10% sales tax on four-D lottery tickets as there is no such taxation on the sale of 4-D lottery tickets in West Malaysia.

Chong, who is the MP for Bandar Kuching said: “I can confidently say that the above 10 items are what the Chinese in Sarawak wants which are within the state government’s power to implement immediately.

“Basically they call for equal and fair distribution and enjoyment of state’s wealth and resources. I believe that even the non-Chinese community will welcome the implementation of the above 10 items.

“There are matters like good governance, justice, security, medical welfare, flood mitigation projects and general education issues which are of the concerns of the Chinese community, but they are more federal matters,” he said.

Chong also called on Taib to make full and frank disclosure of the property that he and his family members has amassed within and outside Malaysia during his tenure as the chief minister of Sarawak.

Source:http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/fmt-english/politics/sabah-and-sarawak/9787-what-has-taib-been-doing-past-30-years

Sarawak parliamentarians under fire ~ Malaysiakini

Taken from http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/106406

Sarawak Barisan Nasional parliamentarians have been accused of neglecting their duties when they failed to speak up for the welfare and the interests of the local people in the state.

'If they have any honour or self-respect they should resign. If not they should be sacked by the people.

"We elected our members of parliament to represent us vigorously in Parliament," said Padungan state assemblyperson, Dominique Ng.

The people of Sarawak have nothing to be happy about, he said, adding: "Despite being the richest state in terms of natural resources, we are the least developed and have the poorest people in Malaysia.

"We were not so bad comparatively at independence, but 47 years on, instead of progressing forward, we have steadily fallen backward due largely in part to non-performing BN members of parliament who have failed miserably in their solemn duties to make our voices heard at the federal level," said Ng, who is Sarawak's PKR leader.

He said that they have even failed to raise the issue of the five per cent oil royalty. It was only by electing Pakatan Rakyat parliamentarians that the state has any hope of increasing it to 20 per cent as promised by the PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim himself.

"It is now the national policy of PKR," he said.

The non-performance of Sarawak's MPs was revealed by the deputy speaker of Dewan Rakyat, Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.


Very low rate of involvement

"Sarawak MPs are among the least active when it comes to speaking in parliament, thus they have very low rate of involvement during parliamentary debates." he said.

He said that when it came to attendance, theirs was said to be among the best. Unfortunately, their mere presence is hardly noticed because they were not as vocal or aggressive as their counterparts from the peninsula and Sabah.

"I dare say Sarawak MPs are the least interested to speak. They seldom speak. More often than not their presence in the Dewan Rakyat is never felt because they do not seize the opportunity to be noticed," he had said this to reporters.

However, he had a lot of praise for the sole DAP MP for Bandar Kuching, Chong Chieng Jen for being very vocal.

DAP state assemblyperson for Batu Lintang, Voon Lee San, said that Barisan Nasional MPs by not performing or under performing have done a great disservice to the state.

"By not performing or under performing, they have caused slow infrastructure development and restriction of funds and foreign investments into the state as relevant ministries could not plan for the needs of the state.

"Issues on oil and gas royalty and the plight of the Dayaks being left behind from the mainstream of development including protection of native lands will not be solved," Voon said.

He added: "They should take political responsibility and resign. Parliament is a place where the voices of people should be heard and MPs should not take their tasks lightly. They are to lead the nation and should be very knowledgeable and capable to impart knowledge without fear or favour.


'Sarawak useless people's party'

"These MPs from Sarawak are under the political class known as Sarawak useless people's party (SUPP)," he said.

A Parti Rakyat Sarawak supreme council member Joseph Allen said that Dayak MPs did not speak in parliament because they lacked the materials for their speeches.

"What they should do is to make use of Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (SADIA), Sarawak Dayak National Union (SDNU), NGOs and Dayak bloggers as their 'think tank' and to give them some issues. Not all that these people say are wrong," he said.

Allen said that they should mix more with these people so that they would know what were the needs and the problems faced by the Dayaks.

"They should raise issues like NCR land and environmental problems caused by oil palm plantations so much so that there are no fish in the rivers. Bring these issues to parliament. Let the prime minister know about them," he said.

He said that there seemed to be a tendency to leave the thinking to one man only, in the case of Sarawak, to Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud.


Infected with the 'culture of fear'

After Taib had said it, the rest would follow suit and heaped praises on him, said Allen.

SDNU publicity chief John Anthony Brian shared the sentiments expressed by Allen and said that the Sarawak MPs did not have a clear master plan for the state and did not do what was relevant.

Further more, they had this "culture of fear" and anything controversial they said might jeopardise their chances of being renominated in the coming election. They knew that all issues were tightly-controlled by the chief minister and they were scared of him, he said.

Brian said that they, therefore, preferred to make up for the number only, but then they looked like idiots.

Another PRS leader Tedewin Ngumbang described the MPs' non-performance as tantamount to betraying their electorate and the parties they represented.

"Party presidents should call their MPs and strategise on what to bring up in parliament each time a session is on. Now the MPs have no clue what to bring up except routine matters only," he said.

Sarawak has 31 MPs, including one from DAP. Out of the 30 BN MPs, there are 14 Dayak MPs. Two of the MPs are made full-fledged ministers and nine deputy ministers.