KUCHING: Instead of going ‘bankrupt in three years’, Sarawak is going the opposite way as it places itself well in the eyes of potential investors within and outside the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) region.
According to Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) information chief Datuk Idris Buang, with an ‘A-’ rating by S&P Global Ratings, it clearly proves Sarawak’s immaculate finance reputation and negates Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng’s negative remark about the state.
On June 21, Lim claimed that the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) state government will go bankrupt in three years due to its large State Budget. However, S&P Global Ratings on Monday had indicated otherwise.
Idris who is also Muara Tuang assemblyman said that Sarawak’s strength will further solidify once the state’s transformation programmes rev the economy through various fields including high-technology agriculture and smart farming as well as oil and gas participation.
“The robust actions taken by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg and his cabinet team in beefing up infrastructure connections, amenities and Information Technology (IT) coverage, will add towards stimulating the economy in the domestic front,” he said in a statement, yesterday.
He also noted that the rating given by the global professional agency acknowledged the financial prudence and good governance of the state government.
“What were promised for the rakyat (people) in the 2016 State Election were carefully planned and being implemented by the GPS state government in the best possible manner.
“This is the correct attitude of a responsible government and there is no doubt that GPS State government is on track again to be the darling of the big majority of Sarawakian voters in the coming state election,” he added.
He continued: “The reason is that it is the only one 100 per cent local-based political coalition that has evidently been consistent to have honoured its manifesto with dedication and sincerity.
“Furthermore, its quest to reposition Sarawak towards a better future in line with its rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), the State Constitution and other ordinances like Oil and Mining Ordinance (OMO) 2018, Sarawak Sales Tax and the Federal Constitution, would definitely enhance its place close to the hearts of the rakyat in Sarawak.”
