Latest news with #SarawakLegislativeAssembly
Borneo Post
3 days ago
- Business
- Borneo Post
Former assemblywoman slams dismissal of public scrutiny over S'wak leaders' overseas spending
Chang says more concerning was the Speaker's remarks that the travel costs were a 'pittance' and 'triviality' compared to the investments brought in by these overseas trips. SIBU (May 28): Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) Speaker Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Nassar's decision to disallow the question raised by Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong on the breakdown of the Premier and state Cabinet ministers' overseas trips expenses is an outright assault on the principles of transparency and accountability, which are the fundamentals of good governance. In stating this, former Bukit Assek assemblywoman Irene Chang said more concerning was the Speaker's remarks that the travel costs were a 'pittance' and 'triviality' compared to the investments brought in by these overseas trips. 'This rationale is deeply flawed and reflects a dismissive attitude towards public accountability. These overseas trips are public expenditures and funded by taxpayers' money. 'Every sen of these taxpayers' money must be subject to scrutiny, regardless of the amount,' she said in a statement. She also referred to the RM100 million being allocated to the Premier's Department for overseas duties in the latest Supplementary Supply Bill. Chang said the notion that the trips were necessary and the cost incurred did not need to be revealed because they were 'small' or offset by future investments was a dangerous precedent to the unchecked misuse of funds. 'Claims of investment returns do not, and cannot, in any circumstances negate the public's right to know how and why the public funds are being spent. It is therefore totally justified for Yong to request for the expenditures incurred from these overseas trips to be revealed to the public. 'This is to ensure transparency, to prevent misuse, and to protect the public interest. Denying this right not only disrespects and undermines the people's mandate for the elected representative in question but also erodes public trust in our democratic institutions.' Adding on, Chang said the DUN should not allow itself to be reduced to a rubber stamp for executive decisions, and must remain a platform for honest debate, scrutiny and accountability. She added it was the very place where legitimate inquiries, such as the one raised by Yong, are encouraged and not silenced. 'As it is, denying this request for such crucial information could further erode public trust in the current government.' DUN Irene Chang overseas travel expenses
Borneo Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Dismissal of motion to review Premier, Cabinet's travel expenses a ‘planned charade', says Chong
Chong says what the Speaker did earlier today has undermined the function of the DUN on providing an oversight on the Executives. – Photo by Roystein Emmor KUCHING (May 28): Padungan assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen is unhappy that a motion submitted by him at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) was dismissed by Speaker Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar. In a statement, he said what the Speaker did earlier today has undermined the function of the DUN on providing an oversight on the Executives. 'The main reason it has come to such is because of the overpowering 80-2 majority the GPS (Gabungan Parti Sarawak) enjoys in the DUN sitting. If such unbalanced government to opposition ratio continues, more extravagance and wastage of public funds will be kept from public eyes and swept under the carpet,' said the Democratic Action Party Sarawak chairman. He was referring to the motion seeking review of the Speaker's decision to disallow the question by Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong on the detailed expenses of the Premier and Cabinet ministers official overseas trips. Asfia had cited multiple procedural and substantive breaches under the DUN's Standing Orders in dismissing the motion. Chong was also unhappy that Asfia allowed Wilfred Yap (GPS-Kota Sentosa) to speak on the motion without even allowing him, the mover of the motion, to start debate on it. He described this as a 'planned charade'. 'He (Asfia) seems to have subscribed to the claim by ADUN for Kota Sentosa that I should go and ask the Prime Minister on the expenses of the Prime Minister and federal Cabinet ministers' official oversea trips. For the information of the Speaker and the ADUN for Kota Sentosa, information of the expenses of the Prime Minister and the federal ministers' official trip has been made public in a parliament answer. 'If the federal government can reply such a question in Parliament, there is no justification why the state government cannot reply such a question in DUN. The Speaker's reliance on foreign investment to justify the huge oversea trips expenditure of the state ministers is misplaced,' he said. He pointed out in the supplementary supply bill for 2025, it was mentioned the Premier's office alone needed RM100 million as its 'rental for air-chartered service'. He said that figure does not even include the expenses for official oversea trips of the other 10 ministers and 26 deputy ministers. 'Last year, the Ministry of Local Government, Housing and Public Health alone, sought additional RM3 million for overseas trips. 'Even taking the Premier's office's RM100 million rental of air-chartered expenditure alone without counting the overseas trips of other ministries, it is still too extravagant given that the whole of the federal cabinet's oversea trips in 2024 was only RM44 million,' he said. Chong was referring to the ruling by Asfia on May 26 in dismissing a question by Yong concerning the overseas travel expenses. Asfia had stated that the costs involved were merely a 'pittance' and 'trivial' compared to the billions in foreign investments the state has successfully attracted. 'If we compare the foreign investment, the country attracted a total RM378.5 billion while Sarawak attracted RM14.12 billion – 3.7 per cent of the country's FDI. In contrast, the RM100 million is more than double the RM44 million spent by the whole federal cabinet on oversea trips,' he said.
Borneo Post
4 days ago
- Business
- Borneo Post
Sarawak plans aerotropolis with new Kuching International Airport to boost aerospace hub aspirations
Photo of the current Kuching International Airport. – Photo by Chimon Upon KUCHING (May 28): Sarawak is moving forward with plans to develop an aerotropolis anchored by the proposed new Kuching International Airport, as part of the state's broader vision to establish itself as a regional aerospace hub, said Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg. He said the new airport will be a central component of the proposed aerotropolis and will be designed with modern and green architectural principles. 'We also discussed the development of an aerotropolis in Sarawak, which will include the new Kuching International Airport. 'The new airport will embody modern, green architectural principles and be equipped with cutting-edge systems to ensure a seamless passenger journey, from check-in to boarding,' he said during his winding-up speech at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly sitting here today. The new airport is expected to accommodate more than 15 million passengers annually and will feature an integrated terminal layout to optimise efficiency and collaboration across the aviation industry. 'This facility will serve as an integrated aviation hub, where all terminals and support buildings are seamlessly interconnected. This cohesive layout will enhance operational efficiency and foster stronger synergies across the entire aviation industry ecosystem,' he added. Abang Johari said the state government will establish a Sarawak-Airbus Joint Task Force to draw up a roadmap for the development of Sarawak's aerospace industry. He disclosed that during a recent working visit to Toulouse, France, he met with Airbus officials and visited the company's headquarters along with ATR as part of the preparation to position Sarawak as an aerospace hub. 'Airbus expressed strong support for Sarawak's ambitions, as they proposed the Airbus-Sarawak Kenyalang Strategic Partnership Avenues, covering six key areas,' he said. These include pathways towards Sustainable Aviation Fuel production, human capital development, industrial ecosystem development, the Digital Airline Journey, an Airbus consulting project for AirBorneo, and airspace operations. In addition, Abang Johari said infrastructure planning in Sarawak will also benefit from international benchmarking, citing a visit to Abu Dhabi where he observed the integration of sea and air ports. 'By learning from global models like Abu Dhabi, whose ports connect seamlessly with international locations across the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and Asia, we can better design Sarawak's global linkages and domestic connectivity,' he said. He also announced that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Abu Dhabi Ports Group and Bintulu Port Holdings Berhad was signed during the visit to foster long-term cooperation in port infrastructure and maritime logistics development. Abang Johari gave assurance that the development of the new international airport and deep seaport in Kuching would involve private sector investments. 'There has been expression of interest by the private sector, local multi-national and international corporations to spearhead the projects,' he said. The Premier also reiterated the government's commitment to strengthening Sarawak's multi-modal transport network across air, land, river and sea, adding that this would support the state's goal of becoming an Asean hub for renewable energy and the New Economy. abang johari aerotropolis DUN Kuching International Airport lead
The Star
4 days ago
- Business
- The Star
S'wak sovereign wealth fund given green light for global investments, says Abang Jo
KUCHING: The Sarawak Sovereign Wealth Future Fund has secured approval from the relevant authorities to proceed with global investments, says Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg. The Sarawak Premier said this marked a crucial step in portfolio diversification for the fund, which was set up last year. "It opens the door to international opportunities that will help maximise long-term returns for Sarawak and her people," he said in his winding-up speech at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly on Wednesday (May 28). ALSO READ: Sarawak plans consolidated investment entity, says Abang Johari ( Abang Johari said the selection of external fund managers was currently in progress. He said the first group, who would focus on fixed income investments, was now in the final stage of appointment, with more asset classes to be managed in the coming phases. "Our focus remains on capital preservation while laying the groundwork for sustainable, long-term growth, ensuring the fund becomes a lasting resource for future generations of Sarawakians," he added. Abang Johari also spoke on the new Kuching International Airport, saying it would be planned to accommodate 15 million passengers annually and be equipped with cutting-edge systems to ensure a seamless passenger experience from check-in to boarding. ALSO READ: Sarawak to set up sovereign wealth fund to boost state's financial sustainability ( Additionally, the airport will serve as an integrated aviation hub, with all terminals and support buildings interconnected. "This cohesive layout will enhance operational efficiency and foster stronger synergies across the entire aviation industry ecosystem," he said. Abang Johari gave his assurance that the development of the new airport and deep-sea port in Kuching would not be funded solely by the state government but would involve private sector investments. He said local multinational and international corporations had expressed interest in spearheading the projects.
Borneo Post
4 days ago
- Business
- Borneo Post
Premier: Sarawak's energy policies to unlock up to RM430 bln investments, create 44,000 jobs
Abang Johari says the initiatives form part of Sarawak's broader strategy to become a regional renewable energy powerhouse. – Photo by Roystein Emmor KUCHING (May 28): The Sarawak government's new energy policies are expected to unlock investment opportunities worth between RM350 billion and RM430 billion, while creating approximately 44,000 new high-value jobs in the energy sector for Sarawakians. Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the initiatives form part of Sarawak's broader strategy to become a regional renewable energy powerhouse. 'These jobs will be generated by new industries, which can boost opportunities for local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), attract domestic and foreign direct investments, and strengthen our regional and global competitiveness,' he said in his winding-up speech at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting here today. He added that the policies would also support Sarawak's long-term goals of economic prosperity, environmental sustainability, and energy security. Among the key policies to be introduced are the Sarawak Hydrogen Economy Roadmap, the Sarawak Sustainability Blueprint, the Sarawak Energy Transition Policy (SET-P), and the Sarawak Energy Efficiency Roadmap. Abang Johari said energy security is a cornerstone of Sarawak's ambition for rapid and inclusive economic development, especially as demand rises with the state's growing population and industrial base. He noted that Sarawak has set a target for renewable energy to account for 60 to 70 per cent of its energy mix by 2035, in line with the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 and the forthcoming SET-P. 'Sarawak is developing four strategic energy hubs – the Renewable Energy Hub, Natural Gas Hub, Hydrogen Hub, and Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) Hub – each playing a complementary role in ensuring long-term energy security,' he said. To support the state's ambition of achieving 10 gigawatts (GW) of installed capacity by 2030 and 15GW by 2035, Abang Johari said the state will continue to develop renewable energy projects through the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model. He also announced a major restructuring of Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB), which will see the separation of power generation and distribution. Under this model, the private sector will participate in power generation, while SEB will remain the single buyer for electricity distribution. 'SEB must be empowered to evolve in support of Sarawak's energy ambitions. This restructuring is key to ensuring SEB is fully able to drive Sarawak's vision of becoming both a Battery of Asean and a renewable energy powerhouse,' he said. He highlighted that large-scale solar, bioenergy, and waste-to-energy projects are already drawing strong private sector interest, but infrastructural challenges such as feedstock aggregation and grid modernisation must be addressed. In a further move to bolster Sarawak's position in the global energy market, Abang Johari said Sarawak is advancing hydrogen-ready technologies, including a Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) facility, to improve energy efficiency and enhance interconnections with neighbouring regions like Sabah and Brunei. On the international front, the Premier said the World Economic Forum (WEF) has recognised Sarawak's leadership in the green transition and invited him to present Sarawak's energy agenda at the WEF Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Tianjin, China on June 26. He also revealed that Bintulu has been nominated as Malaysia's first candidate for the WEF's Transitioning Industrial Cluster (TIC) initiative. 'Transitioning industrial clusters are geographic areas where co-located businesses and industries collaborate to transition from traditional practices to cleaner, low-carbon operations aligned with net-zero goals,' he said. 'We are not just preparing for recognition in Davos early next year, we are laying the foundation for Sarawak to stand among global leaders in shaping the low-carbon industrial future,' he added. abang johari DUN lead new energy
