KUCHING, Nov 13 — The state government should award mega projects exclusively to Sarawakian contractors in line with the spirit of ‘Sarawak for Sarawakians’, Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) president Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh said.
He also said the government must insist that these mega projects be properly implemented without cost overruns and through open tender to prevent financial leakages.
“These projects must also be divided into many packages rather than one contractor doing 1,000km (of road), better to have 10 contractors to do 100km each, with a limit imposed on contracts awarded to a single contractor,” he said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Wong, who is Bawang Assan assemblyman, conceded that people would find it strange that he had quit as a senior state cabinet minister and relegated himself to a backbencher position after some 30 years in the government, particularly when he almost reached the twilight years of his political career.
“But as people say, some are given responsibilities, while others assume responsibilities. But for me, I have responsibilities thrust upon me. One may argue why I did not object to some of the development projects when the papers were presented in the cabinet while I was a minister.
“Why didn’t I object? I would like to quote what the chief minister said in his winding-up speech delivered on July 18, 2018: ‘Even though I have been part of the government that looks after Sarawak for more than 30 years ago, I have been unable to be totally involved in the planning and development of all issues that needed to be done, by nature of the limited individual involvement in government of our respective portfolios and areas of focus’.”
Wong pointed out that cabinet members were bound by collective decision and collective responsibilities.
“Now that I am totally out of cabinet, I am now, to quote the chief minister again, ‘in the position to have an overview and total involvement in the government development projects’.
“Whatever I say comes from my genuine concern about the state development initiatives,” he said.
Wong resigned from the state cabinet on July 15 last year. He was the Second Finance Minister from July 2004 to August 25, 2019. — Borneo Post Online
