KUCHING: Sarawak’s reserves exceed RM30 billion, thus claims that the state is poor are absurd, said Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) vice president Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
In fact, according to him, the surplus Sarawak has clearly shows that the state is the richest among the states in Malaysia.
“If you look at the state government’s savings, it is not logical to say that Sarawak is poor.
“If we combine all the reserves of each state in Malaysia, the amount is still low. In fact, it is not able to reach half (RM15 billion) of what Sarawak has.
“So, how can there be parties who claim that this state is poor?,” he said in response to a reporter’s question regarding the issue of ‘poor state’ being played by certain opposition, here, today.
According to him, poverty rate statistics need to be reframed to see if a state is poor or not.
“If the number of e-kasih aid recipients is used as a measure of the poverty rate, anyone below the Poverty Line Income (PGK) can apply.
“Therefore, farmers and fishermen also receive the aid. However, their income is not fixed because it depends on the results obtained every day.
“It does not reflect reality at all. Therefore, this matter needs to be reviewed to accurately determine the poverty level of a state,” he said.
Commenting further, he said the construction of coastal roads, bridges and so on in the state also shows that Sarawak is able to use its own funds for development purposes.
“Even though it is the responsibility of the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKLW), the state government continues to develop due to the amount of savings it has.
“In fact, Sarawak also plans to establish a Sovereign Wealth Fund. If the state is able to establish this fund, it means we have a lot of surplus – are we poor?,” he asked.
In this context he said the opposition would however still distort whatever good things done.
In other developments, Karim said Bantuan Keluarga Malaysia (BKM) needs to be continued by any leader who will lead in the future.
“All categories of citizens need to be helped, whether it’s the poor, the youth, etc. Don’t help during the election season only. The public and voters are always watching,” he said, urging elected leaders to carry out their responsibilities with trust.
