KUCHING: Batu Kitang assemblyman Dato Ir. Lo Khere Chiang has defended the Sarawak Government’s spending decisions, saying they are necessary to address urgent needs that the Federal Government has failed to fund.
He said it was ironic that the Member for Padungan criticises the Sarawak Government whether it spends or not, yet fails to secure Federal allocations when his party is in the Federal Government.
“Healthcare is a Federal responsibility, yet it is the Sarawak government that is financing the Sarawak Cancer Centre first to ensure our people do not need to leave their families and fly to Kuala Lumpur for treatment,” he said in a statement today.
Lo said if the Member for Stampin and his colleagues were sincere, they should be using their positions in Putrajaya to secure Federal operating and development funds, instead of asking Sarawakians to ‘pay again’ from the State’s own reserves.
He pointed out that the same situation applies to public transport, where Penang’s LRT project is fully funded by the Federal Government, while Sarawak’s Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) system is being built using its own resources — only to be criticised as ‘unnecessary’.
Lo also criticised opposition claims that the increase in DUN seats was wasteful, saying they should instead be fighting for Sarawak to receive fair Federal allocations based on its size, geography, and contribution to the nation.
“If saving money was truly their principle, they would be demanding higher Federal funding, not blocking Sarawak’s development,” he said.
Lo stressed that Sarawak spends because it cannot afford to wait.
“Cancer patients cannot wait. Rural families cannot wait. Our students and our children’s future cannot wait,” he said.
By Connie Chieng