Don't compare us with tiny Perlis in the calculation of poverty rate, Sarawak premier reminds critics

 

By George Wong

KUCHING, July 7, 2024 - Premier Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg took exception to critics who compared Sarawak to the tiny Perlis state in the calculation of the poverty rate between the two states.

Picture: Sarawak premier says not fair to compare Sarawak with Perlis in the calculation of poverty rate.

He said it is not fair to compare the two as Sarawak is a big region and as big as Malaya while Perlis is the size of half of Kuching district.

"Although some compare Sarawak with Perlis, Perlis is a very small state. From the point of view of calculating the poverty rate, it should be different,” he said after chairing PBB supreme council meeting yesterday.

He said being tiny, it is safe to assume that the poverty rate in Perlis will definitely be small or even none at all.

He said the state government is making efforts to address poverty  in Sarawak, adding that there are signs to indicate that the rate is declining.

Abang Johari said the state government is now conducting a survey to find out the actual poverty in the state, hoping that the outcome of the survey will be announced when he tables the state Budget 2025 in the November 2024 sitting of the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (SLA).

The premier sad Sarawak remains a high-income state for the second year running as announced by the World Bank.

"We have passed the income line based on Gross National Income (GNI) per capita, which means we have succeeded in strengthening Sarawak's position as a region with a high income," he said.

According to Abang Johari, the next step is that the Sarawak government will continue to work to increase household income.

“We want to increase the income of the people of Sarawak in urban and rural areas, including sectors where they can work to increase their income," he explained.

He also stated that the Sarawak government has used the income earned over the past four years to supply important and strategic infrastructure such as water supply, electricity, internet, and road infrastructure which is currently being implemented.

"For roads and bridges, the government has allocated as much as RM20 billion and the implementation is underway.

Apart from that, it also includes electricity and water supply that must be connected throughout Sarawak," he said.

Abang Johari also stated that Sarawak will have a State Water Grid which is expected to be completed in 2030.

"The State Water Grid will be equipped with a piping system which requires an expenditure of RM1 billion, and this will be financed by the Sarawak government because the federal government only allocated about RM30 million which I think is insufficient.

“So Sarawak will implement its own water supply," he explained.

Sarawak govt re-visiting e-kasih system, wants to find out the actual povery rate

 

By Simon Peter

KUCHING, July 6, 2024 - The Sarawak government is currently re-visiting e-kasih system to study the “actual” rate of poverty in the state. 

Picture: PBB president Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg (left) chairing the PBB supreme council meeting at PBB headquarters.

Premier Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg said he will announce the outcome of the study when he tables the state Budget 2025 in the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (SLA) sitting in November this year.

“We will then know the conclusion of the study on the poverty in the rural areas,” he told reporters after chairing the PBB supreme council meeting.

“But for me there are signs that the poverty rate has reduced because the situation on the livelihood of the rural people has changed. There are changes in the longhouses and villages and many households have 4WD vehicles.

“If they are really poor, I don’t think that they can own  4WD vehicles,” Abang Johari, who is also PBB president and Gedong State Assemblyman, said.

However, he said the list of e-kasih from the federal Economic Planning Unit is still being used in the categorisation of poverty group.

“There are people who own vehicles and good houses, but their names are still on the list,” he said.

He said it is for this reason that the Sarawak government is re-visiting the e-kasih system to study the poverty rate in Sarawak.

“With the availability of the statistics, we will come up with a long term economic policy,” he said.

He said the state government has the list of people who receive welfare assistance from the government.

He said according to the e-kasih list, these are the people who are under the poverty category and should receive welfare assistance from the government.

“Over the years, these people have improved in terms of getting more income, and should not be under the poverty category anymore because they have increased their income and assets.

“Because the e-kasih is giving free welfare assistance, there are people who do not want to leave. If they are out, then they will not receive the assistance anymore,” he said.

He said based on economic data, there must be a precise data, explaining the reasons why Sarawak wants to find out how many people are actually under the poverty category.

He said on the whole the state’s economy is encouraging and that investors are coming to Sarawak due to the stress on the renewable energy that will give advantage to the state.

 

 

Give power and funds to local agencies to build schools and clinics, Abang Johari tells federal government

 

By Henry Tiong

KUCHING, July 6, 2024 - Premier Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg last night urged the federal government to empower  the local agencies, through the state government, to build schools and clinics in Sarawak.

Picture: Premier urging federal government to allow local agencies in Sarawak to build schools and clinics

He said the federal government should channel funds to these agencies to build schools and clinics, including the nine development agencies that have been established in the state to empower rural leaders.

According to him, each relevant agency is allocated as much as RM1.5 billion by the state government for projects implementation within three years based on the needs of the grassroots, before receiving additional funds.

"So, this means that the decision-making is managed by local leaders through a decentralisation process. Otherwise, everything will be managed centrally in Petra Jaya, at Wisma Bapa Malaysia.

"Therefore, I suggest that Putrajaya authorises the local agencies to carry out projects, not all but some specific projects. 

“For example, the construction of a school or a clinic, we can implement as long as there are funds given by the federal government.

"If you can't implement a project, then give us the power so that we don't have to wait without knowing when these federal government facilities will be implemented,” he added. 

He said this in his speech to inaugurate the closing of the Land and Survey Department Sarawak Innovation and Integrity Day (HIITS) 2024 here, on Friday.

The premier praised the progressive steps taken by the Land and Survey Department  Sarawak in renewing and improving their operational efficiency by using Artificial Intelligence (AI) innovations in the land surveying process.

He further explained that the use of AI, especially generative AI technology, has brought about a major transformation in the field of land surveying so that mapping and analysis of land data can be done more quickly and accurately, further facilitating the process of land planning and development in Sarawak.

"The department is at the forefront of the use of this technology in Malaysia to the point many visitors from the peninsula come to learn our methods of using technology in management.

"I am confident that our future is bright with our existing data recording approach, if we want to measure the land quickly, whether I like it or not, I will have to add more JTS tasks that not only involve measuring land on land, but also at sea.

"This is because our economy has shifted towards a green economy that involves the entire spectrum, the entire strategic sector of our economy,” he added.

Also present were Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, Sarawak Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki, Deputy Minister for Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Datuk Len Talif Salleh, Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier's Department (Integrity and Ombudsman) Datuk Dr Juanda Jaya, Permanent Secretary to the Sarawak Ministry of Natural Resources and Urban Development Datu Abdullah Julaihi, Land and Survey Director Awang Zamhari Awang Mahmood.