Press Statement By Chong Chieng Jen:
The State Government refuses to disclose the list of projects funded by the RM11 billion in the Government Contribution Towards Approved Agencies Trust Fund.
Kuching High court, in the defamation suit by the Sarawak State Government against me, I have made the application for the disclosure of document on the list of projects funded with the RM11 billion fund in the said Trust Fund.
From 2006 to 2013, a total sum of RM11.3 billion was allocated by the Sarawak State Government to this account called Government Contribution towards Approved Agencies Trust Fund. As this is a huge amount, I have persistently questioned the whereabout of the money.
Finally, in 2015, the State Government, through the tabling of the annual financial statements of the said Trust Fund in the State Legislative Assembly, disclosed that the money was used to pay debts taken up and bonds issued by the subsidiary companies of the State Government.
Since it is the State Government’s stand that the fund was used to finance development projects, it is thus my ground of application that these documents are relevant to the case and more importantly, as this involves RM11 billion of public fund, the State Government must be transparent about what are the projects purportedly financed by the fund.
My application was objected to by the Sarawak Government.
Therefore, it is up to the Court to decide whether the Sarawak Government musts disclose these documents about the list of projects purported to be financed with this RM11 billion fund.
The Court will hear the oral submission of both parties on Monday to decide whether the government must produce such document.
10-12-2020
Chong Chieng Jen
MP for Stampin / ADUN for Kota Sentosa
