THE Sarawak government says the new Pakatan Harapan government’s stand of categorising rural infrastructure development in the state as non-critical was a “slap on the face”, said Deputy Chief Minister James Masing.

Masing today said that a letter from the Finance Ministry to the state government dated June 29 said that infrastructure development projects in the state’s rural areas were classified “moderately to not critical”, meaning there was no urgency to their implementation.

“Our new Malaysia thinks that rural infrastructure development is no longer a priority, with overall infrastructure development classified ‘tidak kritikal’ (not critical). Hence, they will not be given priority when it comes to the budget,” he said.

“Sarawak and Sarawakians are the ones who will lose out the most based on this new guideline,” said Masing, who is also state infrastructure development and transport minister.

“It is indeed a slap on the face that our relatives and friends in rural areas may have to continue to live without access to towns and cities and cut off from development.”

Masing said while he understood the need to improve administrative processes and procedures for procurement, the PH government “should remember that Malaysia does not consist of peninsular Malaysia alone and should take into consideration Sarawak’s needs”.

“A blanket policy categorising infrastructure development as not critical may be suitable to Peninsular Malaysia, which is already well developed.

“That approach should not have been forced on Sarawak, which is under-developed as far as infrastructure is concerned.

“One size does not fit all.”

Masing said while past allocations for infrastructure development by the ousted Barisan Nasional federal government might not have been sufficient, infrastructure development had never been deemed unimportant or “worst, negligible”.

Sarawak, he said, also deserved the opportunity to have basic necessities and infrastructure.

Masing cited the argument by newly appointed Works Minister Baru Bian in November 10 last year in which he questioned why the infrastructure development allocation for Sabah and Sarawak only made up 2.4% of the federal budget’s allocation.

Baru had said the “paltry amount” was insufficient to develop the state.

Masing said today that if this was how Putrajaya treated its equal partners, then it was all the more reason “we must fight for full devolution of powers, including greater fiscal allocations”. – July 17, 2018.