MIRI: Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) secretary-general (sec-gen) Datuk Sebastian Ting is disappointed with Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng’s demand for Sarawak government to pay Putrajaya RM 1 billion before the central government could allocate RM 1 billion for repairing the state’s dilapidated schools.
Calling it “a shame and disappointing”, Ting said the DAP sec-gen was politicking and not carrying out his duties as finance minister.
“It’s a shame and disappointing. And it’s a delay tactic. It has been months of back and forth, there appears to be no end to the issue dilapidated schools,” Ting said in a statement yesterday.
He said Guan Eng should be happy that the state government is willing to come up with the money when the federal government had been moaning of lack of funds.
“Guan Eng can’t seem to remember he is the Finance Minister of Malaysia and should refrain from politicising everything that comes his way,” said Ting, who is the Piasau assemblyman.
“I would like to remind fellow Sarawakians that education and dilapidated schools are all matters under the federal purview, not the Sarawak government.
“Sarawak offers to loan to the federal government RM1 billion out of concern for our children who suffer the discomfort of studying under leaking roofs…even risk the danger of falling structures because buildings are rotting.
“The finance minister offers no solutions to the dilapidated schools in Sarawak; instead, he opts to play politics to further delay Sarawak government’s offer of helping the federal government to repair the schools.”
Ting said noted how Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had admonished Guan Eng when the finance minister said Sarawak would go bankrupt in 3 years’ time if Gabungan Parti Sarawak continued to rule the state.
“Dr Mahathir said the finance minister is no longer an opposition politician, therefore should not be making any political statement while carrying out his duty as finance minister.
“I totally agree with the prime minister’s advice that Guan Eng should strive to be a finance minister of all Malaysians,” Ting added.
