Rural Sarawak still lacking in basic facilities

Some are still living in extreme poverty in rural Sarawak despite billions in federal funds allocated to the state each year for development.

It is interesting to note that PAS Sarawak, which is an ally of the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), wants to know why one million rural Sarawakians are still so poor despite the Federal Government pumping billions of ringgit in federal funds into this state every year.

PAS Sarawak’s state commissioner Jofri Jaraiee said his party was concerned about how federal funds were being used in Sarawak.

Jofri, who is also Miri PAS division chief, said every year, Sarawak gets billions of ringgit from the federal budget.

“The latest national budget saw RM4.5bil being allocated by Putrajaya to Sarawak for development projects.

“Every year, the Federal Government gives huge sums to the Sarawak government.

“Sarawak also gets billions in oil and gas royalties and they have vast state revenues, ” he pointed out.

Although the money was for development projects, he said, it could clearly be seen that rural Sarawak was still left so far behind.

“Roads are in very bad shape.

“Electricity supply and treated water supply is still very much lacking in rural districts.

“Health facilities, schools and housing conditions in rural districts are still in very bad shape, ” Jofri noted.

He wanted the state government to explain why this was the case.

“It must be accountable for how it uses federal funds every year, ” he said in an email to reporters here.

Jofri said it was high time a mechanism be set up to monitor how federal funds are utilised in Sarawak every year.

PAS Sarawak wanted to see federal funds used for development projects that could benefit the rakyat, he reiterated.

“Federal funds cannot be used for any other purposes, ” he said.

PAS Sarawak, he added, wanted to play a role in monitoring how federal money was used.

This is not the first time that political parties are asking why rural Sarawak continues to be so backward.

It has been 63 years since Sarawak formed Malaysia with Malaya, Sabah and originally Singapore back then.

But rural Sarawakians are still lacking the most basic facilities.

Sarawak leaders must indeed give a proper account of how development funds are being utilised every year.

Be accountable and clear all doubts.