Chong Chieng Jen
KUCHING (Mar 21): Pakatan Harapan (PH) Sarawak is asking why the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) state government did not bid for federal funds for the Batang Lupar Bridge project under the 2021 Budget tabled by the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government in November last year.
PH Sarawak chief Chong Chieng Jen said there was no point for the GPS state government, which is a part of the PN federal government, to pin the blame on the previous Pakatan Harapan (PH) federal government over the bridge project funds.
Chong, who is Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak chief, said GPS putting the blame on the previous PH government was a move to cover up the former’s failure of governing Sarawak for 57 years.
“There was only empty promises of (former prime minister Datuk Seri) Najib (Tun Razak) but no budgetary allocation. PN already became the government for more than a year and the Budget 2021 was tabled in November 2020.
“If the fund was actually cut by PH, why couldn’t the kingmaker GPS get the PN government to re-allocate for the fund?” he asked in a statement today.
His statement was issued in response to a national Chinese daily’s social media post on the Batang Lupar Bridge project, which was reportedly cancelled by the previous PH government.
The social media post said Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg would be expected to perform the ground-breaking ceremony for the Batang Lupar Bridge project worth RM848 million on Tuesday (Mar 23).
Chong, who is Stampin MP and Kota Sentosa assemblyman, opined that the talks about the PN government cutting the allocation was only a move of the GPS to cover up their failure of governing Sarawak.
“A political party or government who is bankrupt of ideas and vision for the country or state will always put its blame on the opposition for its failure.
“That is exactly the case of SUPP and GPS, government for uninterrupted 57 years yet blaming a 22-month PH government for the lack of development in Sarawak,” he said.
Last month, Assistant Minister of Infrastructure and Ports Development Datuk Julaihi Narawi said the Batang Lupar Bridge project’s ground-breaking ceremony, originally scheduled for Feb 18, was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic in Sarawak.
He added that the acceptance letter for the project was awarded to the contractor on Dec 10 last year and construction work commenced on Jan 7.
Julaihi said the bridge will connect Sebuyau with Triso as well as completely replacing the ferry services at the river.
The project, which involves two single-lane bridge in accordance with the Public Works Department (JKR) R5 spanning 4,844 metres, is expected to be completed by early 2025.
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