SIBU: DAP Sarawak has called on the chief minister to emulate the federal government in giving special funding of RM100,000 to all state assemblymen to assist people in their respective constituencies.
“This is the time to unite all Sarawakians and treat ‘All as One and One for All’. Our chief minister must show compassion and magnanimity by allocating a special Covid-19 fund to all assemblymen irrespective of their political affiliation,” said its deputy chairman David Wong yesterday.
Wong said there was no better time for Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg to unite all Sarawakians and no better time to use the government’s resources for the benefit of all.
“Politics must not be the differential factors at this time of crisis as the Covid-19 doesn’t understand nor choose political differences to strike.
“Many Sarawakians are crying out for help and who else but our state government has to lead at a time like this,” he stressed.
He opined that many hawkers and traders, small businesses, self-employed, sick and disabled, single parents, the unemployed, just don’t have enough saving to last another 14 days not to mention the possibility of further extension of the MCO.
According to a survey done by Bank Negara Malaysia in 2017, nearly 7 per cent of Malaysians do not have a saving of RM1,000 and as high as 32 per cent of the people will run out of saving within 7 days of losing their incomes.
The prolonged MCO would definitely affect half of the population and many of them would be in dire needs for food and essential items such as baby milk, cooking gas and medicines, he warned.
Wong said the elected representatives must be given funding so that they can take care of the people in their constituencies as the government machinery isn’t sufficient to address the needs of the people.
“We hope the GPS state government understand the magnitude of the problems and not play politics for their personal gains. We have a state reserve of RM30 billion and the reserve is meant for rainy days.
“We have a storm now and the state government must show the people that it cares and all our fellow Sarawakians must be taken care of,” he said.
