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THE additional RM100 million approved by the Sarawak State Assembly for the Premier Office team's coming overseas trip is 2.5 times more than the annual combined travel expenses of all federal cabinet ministers and deputies for last year.
Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chien Jen said the huge sum of RM100 million that the office of Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg secured for their coming overseas trips is a shocking example of extravagant wastage of the rakyat’s money.
"The RM 100 million approved without debate for the premier office’s coming overseas trips is more than double the RM 44 million incurred by the entire Federal Cabinet ministers and deputies for the whole of 2024.
"In terms of foreign investments attracted, the federal ministers secured RM 378.5 billion worth of foreign investments last year for the whole country.
"The federal cabinet ministers revealed full details of their travel expenses and the investments they secured in written replies in Parliament.
"Sarawak secured RM14.12 billion investments last year.
"For the Sarawak leaders now to blatantly approve an additional RM 100 million for the premier office’s coming overseas trip without justification and without revealing details is a blatant wastage of taxpayers money,” he said in a statement.
Chong, who is state assemblyman for Padungan, said his attempts to seek answers from the State Assembly on the RM100 million additional travel expenses for the premier office was rejected by the Speaker without good reasons.
"The RM100 million additional money approved blatantly are only for those in the Premier’s Department.
"The overseas travel expenses of the other 10 Sarawak GPS ministers and 26 deputy ministers have not even been included yet and accounted for," he said. – May 29, 2025