Press Statement By Chong Chieng Jen:
The latest economic figures on the GDP Growth rates of the States in Malaysia by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) has proven that the GPS Government has once again failed the people of Sarawak.
For the year 2020, while the national GDP growth was -5.6% (contraction of 5.6%), Sarawak’s GDP contraction was far greater than the national average, registering a GDP contraction of 7.1%. This 7.1% contraction in the Sarawak’s GPD is an equivalent of a reduction of a massive RM9.6 billion domestic production in Sarawak.
The following is the table of the GDP Growth of the States in Malaysia:
Given the statistics, Sarawak is the third worst GDP contraction States in the country. This is despite the billions worth of BKSS 1.0 to BKSS 4.0 as claimed by Abang Jo in year 2020 and the multi-billion coastal roads and second trunk road projects announced by the GPS government during this period.
Amongst the worst performing economic sectors for Sarawak are the agriculture and the manufacturing sectors. In 2020, the national GDP contraction for agriculture sector was 2.2% but Sarawak recorded a 10% contraction. As for the manufacturing sector, the national contraction was 2.6% but Sarawak’s contraction was 8.6%. This is notwithstanding the huge land mass for agriculture in Sarawak, GPS’s flight chartering program to promote Sarawak’s agricultural product in Singapore and the numerous announcements of FDI into Sarawak in the past few years.
While we accept the fact that the Covid-19 pandemic will bring about contractions in our country’s economy, it is unacceptable that notwithstanding the billions of reserve fund as claimed by the GPS government, we are below par as compared to the other states in Malaysia.
Therefore, GPS government must give an account to Sarawakian on the reasons for such below-par performance by the State Government and why despite the huge injection of fund under the BKSS programs, the GDP contraction of Sarawak rank third worst in Malaysia.
The GPS leaders, especially the SUPP President Dr Sim Kui Hian has been very quick in putting all the blames for the woes of Sarawak on the Federal Government. But it seems that when it comes to this poor economic management of the State, he is keeping mum on the issue.
As Sarawakians, we are entitled to know the reasons for such poor and below-par performance of the State.
This statistics verified the fact that notwithstanding how much Abang Jo and the GPS were boasting about and singing praises of its own policies, people on the ground were suffering in the past year because of Covid-19.
7-8-2020
Chong Chieng Jen
DAP Sarawak Chairman
