SARAWAK opposition leader Chong Chieng Jen wants the state’s second finance minister Wong Soon Koh to be censured over alleged incompetency after tabling “an incomplete financial report” and erroneous accounting.

Chong, who is also Kota Sentosa assemblyman, today suggested the assembly either reprimand the minister or slap him with a “two- or three-day suspension” for tabling a 2017 financial report that was “incomplete” as it did not come with all the attachments mentioned.

 “Are you going to reprimand the minister for the failure to ensure that a proper report is tabled?” he asked the assembly.

Chong also questioned why the financial reports from 2006 to 2017 on the state’s road maintenance trust fund was tabled on Monday, at the start of the current sitting.

“The law requires that the account ought to be tabled regularly and promptly. I wonder what the finance minister is doing, holding on to the statements for 12 years.”

He said surely there is negligence or an omission of duty in not tabling the reports as required by the law.

Chong added in 2012, the auditor-general had remarked in his annual report that the Sarawak government had failed to table financial reports on the trust fund.

“Why take such a long time to table the reports? Surely, this is a failure of duty on the part of the state government to fully inform this house on the trust fund.”

On the trust fund’s report, Chong said it showed yearly grants by the federal government for the repair of state roads were not fully utilised.

He added in the 12 years, there is an excess of RM625 million.

He asked why the funds were not disbursed when local councils kept saying they had no money to maintain roads under their jurisdictions.

Chong said not only was the money not spent, it did not earn accrued interest since 2006 while it sat in the bank.

Wong, who interjected briefly, said he will give a detailed explanation on the claims while accusing Chong of “misleading the assembly”. – May 2, 2019