SARAWAK lawmaker Chong Chieng Jen has accused the state government of operating a RM2 billion slush fund.

The Kota Sentosa assemblyman, who in 2013 was sued by the administration of former chief minister Abdul Taib Mahmud and the state financial authority over his 2012 claim of a RM11 billion black hole in the state budget, today alleged RM2.04 billion could not be accounted in the state’s 2018 budget that Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg presented on Wednesday.

He said the RM2.04 billion accounted to 40% of the state’s development expenditure.

“If it could not be accounted, then it has to be for a slush fund,” Chong told The Malaysian Insight.

“If you look at the budget, projects as small as RM100,000 are being accounted for.

“But there are no details what RM1.399 billion is for.”

Earlier, in his debate on the budget, Chong said the RM1.399 billion was only stated as “contribution to government approved agencies and trust fund” while another RM665 million are for a “special fund”.

“What is that special fund? There are no details,” he said.

“What are the government approved agencies?”

Chong, who is Pakatan Harapan state chairman, claimed money in the special fund is to be distributed among Barisan Nasional assemblyman “to dish out” in their respective constituencies.

“How can you (the state government) say it’s a transparent account when 40% of the amount is unaccounted for?”

Chong was sued for defamation by the state government for alleging that RM11 billion in the 2013 state budget had disappeared without explanation.

He followed his allegation in the state assembly with a tri-lingual flyer entitled, ‘Budget Black Hole – where did the RM11 billion go?’, that was distributed by the party during the 2013 general election.

That RM11 billion, he claimed, amounted to 50% of Sarawak’s budget over the past eight years.

In the legal fight, Chong’s application to strike out the lawsuit filed by the state government on the ground the state government cannot sue him for defamation was dismissed.

He appealed and the Appeals Court, in a 2 to 1 split decision, again sided with the government.

Chong again appealed and the Federal Court has yet to make a decision. – November 10, 2017.