KUCHING: Kota Sentosa State Assemblyman Wilfred Yap has strongly rebutted recent remarks by DAP Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen, who alleged that the Sarawak Government is “flush with cash but failing its poor.”
“Chong’s statement is a textbook example of selective outrage and distortion designed to mislead. The truth is that Sarawak’s revenue is being reinvested on a scale and depth DAP has never delivered.”
Yap said that Sarawak’s welfare policies span every stage of life, from RM1,000 endowment funds for newborns and postnatal assistance for mothers to free university education starting in 2026.
“This is what spending on people should be, not slogans and press conferences. Sarawak GPS supports families from cradle to golden years,” he stated.
He further explained that over 60 percent of Sarawak’s development budget goes toward rural transformation, including road upgrades, clinics, electricity, and clean water.
“When DAP was part of Pakatan Harapan from 2018 to 2020, they slashed allocations and cancelled critical infrastructure. While they were politicking in Malaya, GPS stepped up to deliver what Putrajaya failed to do,” he said.
Yap also highlighted major infrastructure projects once shelved under Pakatan Harapan, such as the Batang Lupar, Batang Igan, Batang Rambungan, and Batang Kemena bridges. DAP was part of the coalition that walked away from them. Now, they pretend those years never happened.
He outlined the Sarawak Government’s long-term economic strategy, including investment in a new international airport, deep-sea port, Kuching’s urban ART system, the Coastal Highway, Air Borneo, the Sovereign Wealth Fund, and low electricity tariffs.
“These are not just projects as they are a vision for a confident, self-reliant Sarawak. DAP has never demonstrated such ambition. They specialise in complaints. We focus on delivery,” Yap said.
Responding to criticism about the RM30 million flagpole, Yap clarified that, contrary to Chong’s claims, the flagpole was not funded by taxpayers.
He said it was part of a corporate social responsibility package by Petronas, Petros, and Shell. Deliberately misrepresenting this is irresponsible, and DAP also ignored the fact that welfare remains primarily a federal responsibility.
Yap reckoned that DAP knows this but chooses to distort it. When in power, they allocated less to Sarawak than any other administration.
“While DAP rehashes old complaints and issues press statements, GPS is building roads, bridges, schools, hospitals, modern public transport, and delivering the lowest electricity tariffs in Malaysia. GPS doesn’t just talk about Sarawak First—GPS finds the funds, builds it, and delivers it,” he said.
By Connie Chieng