DAP told the Sarawak Public Health, Housing and Local Government Minister Sim Kui Hian today to account for the RM2.78 million extra he had sought for his office's overseas trips this year.
Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen, who is the Padungan assemblyman, said the amount was a 1,700% jump from the RM161,400 allocation approved in Budget 2024.
Chong said it is only five months into the year but the ministry had already blown its budget and required nearly RM3 million more.
"Sim, who is also a deputy chief minister, should give an account to the public on how many overseas conferences and study visits the ministry had attended and a detailed breakdown of the expenses for each and every of these conferences and visits," Chong said.
Chong said when going through the details of the First Supplementary estimates of Ordinary Expenditure for year 2024 which was passed in the legislative assembly yesterday, he said an item which was out of the ordinary.
“That item was an additional sum of RM2,781,750 approved to cater for overseas conferences and study visits by the Ministry of Public Health, Housing and Local Government,” he told reporters.
He also said Sim should give an account as to where and when were these overseas conferences and study visits, and how many persons were financed by the extra RM2.78 million.
Chong also questioned if Sim's wife was among those financed by this additional budget.
The assembly yesterday passed the supplementary estimates totalling more than RM246 million.
Chong also asked the state Transport Minister Lee Kim Shin to account for the RM3.58 million required by the ministry to paid for its overseas conferences and study visits. – May 10, 2024.
