Dayak leaders of PSB give full support to Wong Soon Koh

PSB Dayak leaders gave full support to Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, President PSB, on the need for the Sarawak State Government to re-examine the 2020 budget in view of the revenue collected from the sales tax of 5% on Oil and gas amounting to RM2.878 billion is questionable and may not be forthcoming.

 

Datuk Dr. Tiki Lafe, Chairman of PSB Tasik Biru Branch, said that PSB members felt that the State Government might have wrongly perceived that the statement made by Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh as an attempt to oppose the Government for the sake of opposing the 2020 budget development programmes.

Recalling the Chief Minister's winding up speech delivered on 17 November 2017 he clearly stated: ' I stand to be guided and corrected in policies.

I do hope that those in the know would come forward and give their advice to the government. I am willing to listen'.

Here, Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh made a point by offering constructive suggestion for the Government to reprioritize the development projects, bearing in mind that the State revenue from Oil and Gas is not forthcoming.

Tiki further stressed that the suggestion from PSB was purely out of sincere concern for the State's Financial situation. \

Datuk William Nyalau, Chairman PSB Batang Ai Branch, concurred with Tiki, that Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, through his undisputed and wide experiences as a Second Finance Minister for 15 years, offered a sincere, constructive suggestion due to the State's Financial situation based on the Chief Minister's budget speech for 2020 delivered on 13 Novemebr 2019 amounting to RM10.067 billion.

This amount is no longer tenable as the revenue was heavily calculated based on the expected sales tax of 5% on oil and gas amounting to RM2.878 billion, which is so crucial to the State budget and is not forthcoming.

The lower oil price will affect 5% royalties drastically and revenue from sales tax on palm oil products, timber royalty, dividen income and overall interests collectible will be very much reduced and these will definitely affect the 2020 budget on development projects and programmes.

'Furhermore, the over RM2.0 billions for the aid packages not appropriated for the contigency fund in 2020 will definitely impact the financial distress of the Government'.

'The consequence of the State's financial constraints had made Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh's call for a re-examination of the State's budget 2020 for development projects and programmes, as announced by the Chief Minister' said Datuk Masir Kujat, Chairman PSB Balai Ringin Branch.

Therefore, it is vitally important for the State government to re-adjust the overblown deficits for year 2020 by putting on hold or doing away with some of the mega projects of low priority such as the Second Trunk Road, LRT and the like.

Masir further agreed with Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh that the Government should avoid venturing into unfamiliar territory of development projects such as Hydrogen plants and Hydrogen buses.

The PSB leaders fully supported Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh when he urged the State Government to take immediate steps in reviewing the whole development initiatives for 2020 in order not to put excessive strains on the State's financial resources. - May 15, 2020

signed:

1. Datuk Dr. Tiki Lafe, Chairman PSB Tasik Biru Branch, Former Federal Deputy Minister/Former MP Mas Gading.

2. Datuk William Nyalau, Chairman PSB Batang Ai/Former MP Lubok Antu.

3. Datuk Masir Kujat, Chairman PSB Balai Ringin, MP for Sri Aman.