Rural S’wak in ‘awful’ shape despite record state revenue: PKR man

MIRI – Rural Sarawak remains in a terrible state, with broken bridges, horrendous roads, and lack of electricity supply and treated water, even though the state government has declared a record-high revenue, said state Pakatan Harapan information chief Abun Sui Anyit.

He questioned why this was so, in reaction to Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg’s announcement yesterday that state revenue for 2022 was a record RM11.9 billion.

Abun, who is also Sarawak PKR deputy chairman and a native rights lawyer, said state leaders need to go into rural Sarawak and see the condition of roads and broken bridges, as well as the longhouses without water and electricity supply.

This has been the situation “for decades”, he said, and state leaders must explain why despite all the revenue in government coffers.

“There are one million rural folks in Sarawak, including myself from Belaga district, and the majority of us have to endure travelling on dangerous roads, crossing broken bridges, and living in longhouses without proper electricity and treated water.

“If indeed the state revenue is so high, then it has not been used to benefit the rural folks who have been living in a ‘koyak’ (terrible) state for the past 60 years of this state government,” he told reporters here.

When announcing the RM11.9 billion for 2022, Abang Johari said it had surpassed the projected revenue of RM10.2 billion by 17%.

Sui today said all the grand declarations of great income and great plans by state leaders cannot hide the stark reality faced by rural Sarawakians.

He also pointed out that there are many abandoned clinic and school projects throughout rural Sarawak, such as in his home district of Belaga.

“The state government leaders must use the record revenue to revive these crucial projects left abandoned for years,” he said.

He cited as an example Long Busang Clinic, in the remote Belaga settlement of Long Busang, that had been left uncompleted for the past eight years. – The Vibes, February 3, 2023