FINANCE Minister Lim Guan Eng was “very quiet” on issues that are very important to Sarawak, Deputy Chief Minister James Masing said of Budget 2019.

“I don’t see any allocation to continue with the perimeter survey of native customary rights (NCR) land and there’s absolutely none for the repair of dilapidated schools in the state,” he said.

The perimeter survey was key to diffusing the tension between native landowners and the state government, with the native landowners often accusing the government of land grab over ill demarcated NCR lands.

Masing said former prime minister Najib Razak used to allocate RM30 million for the survey every year.

Repair of dilapidated schools is another contentious issue, with the state having long accusing all past federal governments of neglect in the maintenance of schools in the state.

The state government had reported that 1,020 out of 1,454 schools in the state are in dilapidated condition, of which 415 are categorised as critically dilapidated.

Masing also questioned the RM4 billion development expenditure allocated to Sarawak.

“Is it fair to be only given RM4 billion?” he asked.

“What I am interested (to know) is, whether the RM4 billion development expenditure is a fair allocation, bearing in mind that the revenue the federal government gets from our oil and gas is huge.”

Masing said Sarawak contributes at least RM250 million to the national coffers daily through the 850,000 barrels of oil extracted from in the state daily and asked if RM4 billion was a fair allocation.

“And what did the PH manifesto promised (the people of Sarawak) during GE14 the state should get? They promised a big chunk from Sarawak’s assets.

“Is RM4 and RM5 billion to Sarawak and Sabah respectively, a fair amount? I don’t think it’s fair. We deserve more,” he said.

Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Youth central secretary-general Milton Foo echoed the same sentiments earlier.

Lim in tabling the budget, gave the assurance that the federal government will continue to ensure the development of Sabah and Sarawak and a development expenditure of RM5 billion has been allocated to Sabah and RM4.34 billion to Sarawak.

Lim said the amounts were an improvement of the RM4.13 billion allocated to Sabah for 2018 and the RM4.33 billion Sarawak received from the previous BN government for the same year.

“The government will continue to implement the Pan-Borneo Highway encompassing Sabah and Sarawak, subject to a cost rationalisation exercise.

“In addition, projects in Sabah and Sarawak will include the construction and upgrading of water, electricity and road infrastructure, health and education facilities as well as the development of the respective economic corridors,” Lim said.

That, Masing said, was vague and demanded details of how much money should go where.

On the whole, Masing said “Lim Guan Eng’s budget” was “nothing exceptional”. – November 2, 2018.