Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman
KUCHING (Sept 16): The federal government must continue to support the development in Sarawak by providing adequate allocations for infrastructure and facilities projects, said Tupong assemblyman Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman.
He said this is necessary to address the perception that Sarawak is being treated as a ‘stepchild’ by the federal government.
“The distribution of allocations from the federal government should also be provided based on the state’s size and not the total population as Sarawak is the largest state in Malaysia.
“If the allocation to Sarawak remains to be based on its total population, then it would simply be inadequate for the implementation of development projects in the state,” he pointed out in his Malaysia Day message yesterday.
Apart from that, Fazzrudin also opined that large allocation for education should also be given by taking into account the situation of schools in Sarawak, their location and also the distribution of students.
Education policy at the national level, he added, should also take into account the plight of students in rural areas and ensure these schools are equipped with necessary equipment.
“With the new leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, I hope the interests of Sarawak will continue to be prioritised and highlighted in future policy and planning discussions at the national level,” he said.
In the context of Sarawak, he hoped for the restoration of eroded rights provided for under the 1963 Malaysia Agreement (MA63) to be expedited.
“This is important to retain the spirit of partnership and equality between Sarawak, Sabah and Malaya,” he added.
In conjunction with the 58th Malaysia Day celebration, he also hoped the country can continue to strengthen its commitment to face the challenges of today and the future in overcoming the Covid-19 pandemic and reviving the economy.
He sees the recent signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Transformation and Political Stability between the federal government and opposition parties as a right step in practising democracy by consensus as well as mature politics.
“I hope in the future, whatever problems we face can be resolved prudently through discussion and not disputes,” he said.