SARAWAK fared “far worse” than Penang in the National Statistics Department’s household income survey last year because of the Barisan Nasional-led state government’s economic policies, says Sarawak Pakatan Harapan.

It blamed the dismal showing on the Sarawak government “allowing a few selected families and cartels to monopolise and control the exploitation of natural resources while impoverishing the majority of ordinary Sarawakian families”.

Sarawak PH chairman and Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen said according to the survey, the mean household income of the Pakatan Harapan government in Penang last year was RM6,771 and its median household income was RM5,409. Meanwhile, the mean household income of Sarawak was RM5,387 and its median household income RM4,163.

Mean household income is the average household monthly income while median household income refers to the household income level of majority households.

Mean or median nett household income, after taxes and mandatory contributions, are good indicators of the standard of living.

“The mean household income of Penang is approximately 25% more than Sarawak’s, while the median household income of Penang is approximately 30% higher than that of Sarawak,” Chong said today.

“Penang’s median household income being 30% higher than that of Sarawak means that more than 50% of families in Penang have an income that is 30% higher than families in Sarawak.

“This is a huge difference in household income level.

“The difference is made even more significant if one were to compare the natural resources available in the two states,” Chong said.

“There are absolutely no natural resources in Penang.

“On the contrary, Sarawak has a lot of natural resources.

“Oil and gas royalties alone generate more than RM1.5 billion in annual revenue for Sarawak and mining and quarrying generated RM23 billion for Sarawak’s gross domestic product last year.

“The timber industry generates RM7 billion in export revenue for the state annually.”

Chong said given the abundance of natural resources in Sarawak, Sarawak’s mean and median household incomes should be higher than those of Penang by at least 30%.

Chong said if the Sarawak government could manage its economy as well as the Penang government, with the addition of the revenue generated from natural resources, every “Sarawak family should be richer by at least RM3,000 per month”.

“From the statistics, it is clear that the BN Sarawak government has done a great disservice to ordinary Sarawakians by allowing a selected few to monopolise, control and exploit our natural resources.

“DAP thus calls for the liberalisation and socialisation of Sarawak’s natural resources so that all ordinary Sarawakians have a share in and get to benefit fully from the natural wealth of the state.”

In the survey, Sarawak fared better than neighbouring Sabah, Perak, Pahang, Kedah and Kelantan while tiny Perlis sits atop Sarawak.

Kuala Lumpur has the highest household incomes, followed by Selangor, Johor, Melaka, Penang, Terengganu, Negeri Sembilan and Perlis. – October 19, 2017.