KUCHING: Sarawak is fortunate that it has the power to make its own decisions to suit local conditions and not necessarily follow the decisions of the federal government every time, which may not be in the state’s best interests.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said Sarawak was able to decide not to impose the movement control order (MCO), except for Sibu, Kapit, and Song, while the rest of the state were placed under the conditional MCO (CMCO).
“(This is) to ensure that life can go on and businesses can continue to operate in order to keep people in employment. We cannot continue to close our economy but somehow we have to find ways to get it going,” he said in his Chinese New Year message.
He pointed out that the state government was implementing this policy as it had the autonomous right enshrined in the Ninth Schedule Clause (7) of the Concurrent List. “That is the right we have to protect in future.”
He said with strong savings and increased revenue streams, the state government was able to provide assistance such as the Sarawakku Sayang Special Assistance (BKSS) during this difficult time.
However, the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) chairman pointed out that government resources were not unlimited.
“We must maintain our financial prudence and continue to manage efficiently, while at the same time invest especially in the provision of infrastructures and strategic projects.”
Abang Johari said the government was well aware of the people’s predicament during the Covid-19 pandemic, noting that the people had suffered tremendous hardships, loss of jobs, and downsizing or closure of businesses.
He said the state government had thus provided various categories of assistance through BKSS 1.0 to 5.0 to alleviate the burden of the people as well as the business and trading community.
“A total sum of RM3 billion in the form of cash, subsidies, and deferment of payments and loans have been given out under the five BKSS packages.
“We are lucky as Sarawakians to be able to receive assistance both from the state and federal governments. For example, many of you received cash assistance under the Bantuan Prihatin Nasional and also received similar cash assistance under BKSS.”
He said consumers in Sarawak were also given deductions in their electricity bills, again from both state and federal governments at 23 percent and two percent respectively.
“I believe people in other states do not enjoy this privilege of receiving dual assistance – only in Sarawak. The electricity and also water bill deduction will continue until June this year under BKSS 5.0, incurring the government a total of RM198 million.”
Apart from BKSS, Abang Johari said the state government had already spent over RM75 million to pay for the cost of hotel quarantines for returning Sarawakians in order to protect the people from imported infections.
He reiterated that no other state was doing the same for its people, adding that the RM75 million also helped to keep the hotel industry afloat.
In spite of all these challenges, he assured that Sarawak’s economic fundamentals were strong.
“Our numerous infrastructure projects such as roads and bridges are able to proceed, including the Pan Borneo Highway that has kept the economic engine moving – though it is tough going because of the shortage of workers.
“The state government has set up a special committee to look into this problem of shortage of workers and I am hopeful that it can be solved to ensure that the various projects can be implemented without much delay,” he said.
