ABOUT a week before Budget 2019 was tabled, Sarawak Pakatan Harapan chairman Chong Chieng Jen had boasted that he would fight to get Sarawak and Sabah 30% of the budget’s development allocation.

Today, Sarawak Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg is asking Chong what happened to his boast.

Chong, who is also deputy domestic trade and consumer affairs minister, in a Kuching press conference on October 28, had also said the 30% was part of a slew of promises in PH’s 14th general election manifesto.

Sarawak, in the budget tabled by Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng yesterday, was only allocated RM4 billion, out of RM341.5 billion allocated for development – a mere 1.2%.

Sabah was allocated RM5 billion.

Chong had also claimed that the 30% would be more than all the previous budgets tabled by Barisan Nasional in the past 55 years.

While the Sarawak chief minister gave a grudging “thank you” for the RM4 billion, he said on the whole, he was disappointed with what the state got.

He told reporters after attending events to mark Women’s Day in Demak on the outskirts of Kuching that he did not know the details concerning the RM4 billion allocation.

“We have been given RM4 billion but no details on where the allocation will go. It’s all very general.”

Abang Johari, however, said he presumed the RM4 billion would all go to the Pan-Borneo Highway project.

“There is no mention of (repairing dilapidated) schools, no mention of rural projects.

“I was expecting (allocations for repairing dilapidated) schools but nothing was mentioned.

“Nothing on rural water (supply projects) or electricity.

“It was not specific, so we (the state government) don’t know (what the allocation is for).”

On whether he was disappointed with the budget, he replied, “of course I am”.

“This is despite the fact that somebody had said Sarawak would get 30%.” – November 3, 2018.