Apply now for minor rural projects, Chong tells rural people

KUCHING, April 26, 2015. - Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen has called on the rural people to apply for minor rural projects through their village headmen or district offices and their elected representatives, now that the State Legislative Assembly has just approved an allocation of RM500 million.

"The additional allocation of RM500 million is for minor rural projects and social programmes fund.  This is in additional to the previously approved RM1.2 billion in the 2015 Budget. 

"Therefore, with this additional RM500 million, the total allocation for minor rural project and social programmes fund is now RM1.7 billion for this year," Chong, who is also Kota Sentosa state assemblyman, said in a statement.

Chong Chieng Jen (left) with Sarawak DAP deputy chairman Leon Jimat Donald and Mordi Bimol, DAP Tasik Biru chief

Saying that RM1.7 billion is a lot of money, he said it can finance 1,700 projects of RM1 million each. 

"Normally, these rural projects will cost in the region of 50,000 each.  If we take RM50,000 each project, RM1.7 billion can finance 34,000 such projects.  That is for the period of one year only."

"If one were to divide this figure by the total number of DUN constituencies in Sarawak, each state constituency will each have at least 500 projects of RM50,000 each in year 2015.

"For instance, there are about 40 kampongs in Tasik Biru constituency.  Therefore, each kampong in Tasik Biru should get about 12 allocation of RM50,000 each in the year 2015.  At present, it will be lucky if each of these kampong gets one allocation of RM50,000 in the whole of 2015 year," he asked.

He added:"If the allocation of money truly goes into the minor rural projects, each and every kampong by now, will have the very basic electricity and water supply, tar-sealed road access and even proper community hall for each and every kampong.

"If the fund were truly utilised all these years, there will be no need for us DAP to carry out any of the Impian Sarawak projects.  The fact that there are still so many kampongs without water and electricity or proper road access is testimony of the leakages and wastages in these minor rural project funds," Chong stressed.

He said the DAP does not oppose to rural development, opposes to the unaccounted spending and corruption in the name of development.