KUALA LUMPUR – The distribution of wealth in Sarawak has been questioned after the state was declared one of the poorest in the country.
PKR information chief Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin said in a statement that the allocation for Sarawak assemblymen is among the highest – at RM9 million annually per person.
“Each Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) assemblyman receives an annual allocation of RM5 million for rural transformation projects, RM2 million for small rural projects, RM1 million for the Sarawak Poor Home Improvement Programme, and RM1 million for the Agriculture Facilitation Fund Programme.
“Does the allocation received by each assemblyman really reach the people for them to enjoy the benefits?
“If yes, then why is Sarawak one of the poorest states in Malaysia?” Shamsul said.
His comments came after Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Economy) Datuk Eddin Syazlee Shith told the Dewan Rakyat that Sarawak is one of the states with the highest poverty rates in the country.
The other three states are Kelantan, Sabah, and Perak.
Eddin added that the four states also recorded the highest rate of hardcore poverty compared with other states.
Although the revelation is common knowledge, Shamsul said it is a shame that the poverty rate of the Hornbill State, which has long been ruled by GPS, has remained the same.
“Its poverty level has not improved. It is very sad for the Sarawakians, as the state has the largest cash reserve in the country.
“The state revenue is also the third largest, contributing 12% to gross domestic product after Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.
“Where have things gone wrong in the distribution of the state’s wealth to the people?” – The Vibes, December 1, 2021
