RM1mil yearly allocation not enough: YB
Published on: Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Kota Kinabalu: Kiulu Assemblyman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai has requested for the annual RM1 million Adun (assemblymen) Fund to be increased significantly to meet mounting requests from the people for development project grants.According to him, the increasing requests could be seen as a reflection of the people's high hope and confidence in Barisan Nasional (BN)."Taking into account these increasing requests the RM1million is far from sufficient," he said.
ADVERTISEMENT
Bangkuai believed his request merits the State Government's serious consideration in view of the increase in applications for grants in his constituency.He cited about 300 suspension bridges in his constituency built between 10 and 30 years ago, many of which need repairs or replaced with new ones costing between RM10,000 and RM30,000 each.At the same time, many of the villagers in Kiulu still depend on gravity water as the iron water pipes that had been laid since the Berjaya era were now corroded, posing a health hazard.This iron pipes had been replaced with the PVC type pipes in some places, he said, adding that some of these PVC pipes now were found to be broken, thus cutting off water supply to the villagers.
ADVERTISEMENT
"Community halls or balairayas in many villages are also in need of repair," he said."Many applications for grants (from Adun Fund) are brought forward to the year after and it will continue to increase.
ADVERTISEMENT
"We will have to face the people in the next election some three years from now, as such it is crucial to fulfil the requests of the people to the best of our ability," he said.Bangkuai earlier said the State government under the able leadership of Datuk Seri Musa Aman as Chief Minister cum Finance Minister had successfully strengthened the State's coffers and administration.Hence, he was confident the State Government has the capability to channel a much bigger Adun Fund.He was also pleased that the Government approved three high high-impact projects here that were long awaited by the people.They were the construction of the Bayag Bridge, Potoridung Bridge and the eight kilometre road connecting Kg Gonipis and Kg Poring.Bayag Bridge was important to cater for the expansion of Kiulu township which is very congested now.Bangkuai also reiterated his query on the delay to rebuild a new building block in Sk Pekan Kiulu that was razed in March last year which, he said, had incurred the wrath of parents and teachers."The parents and teachers are running out of patience seeing the pupils continuing to occupy tents as classrooms," he said, adding in this instance the ones being blamed were the elected representative and government."This will further compound the anti-federal sentiments propagated by certain quarters, which will be detrimental to the BN," he said.Bangkuai said the delay should not have happened since the school had already been visited by Deputy Education Minister Datuk Mary Yap. He was also puzzled by the delay since the State Education director had been given the power to directly approve projects below RM5 million in Sabah, which had been widely publicised.He likened this "power" to the State Education Director like giving a car to him but not the key apparently because of some procedural matters.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
Daily Express Malaysia
