KUALA LUMPUR, April 24 — Two of the 49 projects Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said the government approved in Sandakan were authorised during Barisan Nasional’s (BN) time, Khairy Jamaluddin said.
The BN shadow finance minister also noted the timing of the announcement, which he said happened to come just ahead of nominations for the Sandakan by-election this weekend.
“But what is interesting it that Lim emphasised two projects in Sandakan, which are the runway upgrade at Sandakan Airport and the Sungai Anip flood barrier project,” Khairy wrote on his Facebook page yesterday.
The Rembau MP said both were approved during the 2015 tabling of the 11th Malaysia Plan for the period of 2016 to 2020,
He also noted that former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had announced the specific allocation for the runway upgrade in May 2017.
Khairy then said Lim’s announcements were effectively of Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) continuations of BN schemes.
“The PH government’s decision to continue planned developments is appreciated. Even if you want to take credit, go ahead,” he added.
However, he said PH should not mask the truth and pretend as though these were new initiatives it launched.
Lim issued a statement yesterday to highlight the approval for 49 projects in Sandakan, Sabah that were worth a combined RM2.28 billion, including the two Khairy cited.
The Sandakan by-election was triggered after the incumbent, Sabah DAP chairman Datuk Stephen Wong, died of a sudden heart attack on March 28.
The Election Commission has set nominations for April 27 and polling for May 11.
Sandakan has 39,777 registered voters who are 49 per cent Chinese, 44 per cent Muslim Bumiputra and 6 per cent non-Muslim Bumiputra.
