Goh (third right) posing with Tan Cheng Teng (third left) and other VIPs including Datuk Seah Chee Ming (fourth left) and Datuk Teo Ming Chong (right), after officiating the new premises of LDHA, last Friday.
LAHAD DATU: The Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia (Huazong) President Tan Sri T C Goh hopes the Government can be more practical with funding for parliamentary constituencies.
Instead of adopting the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach, he proposed the Government to take into consideration such aspects like the number of voters, the size of the constituency and the number of urban and rural constituencies that it has.
He thus put forward a five-point proposal for the Government’s consideration, as follows:
* Government should provide more funding to parliamentary constituencies which have a comparatively bigger population or bigger number of voters.
* The land size of a constituency too should be taken into consideration and be allocated with more funding for development.
* The Government to take into consideration the greater need of the rural constituencies and to provide them with more funding.
* The Government to give more focus and funding for the six less-developed states namely, Sabah, Sarawak, Terengganu, Kelantan, Kedah and Perlis.
* Following the slashing of development funding for parliamentary constituencies by the Federal Government, it is hoped that the various state governments, Sabah included, could take measures to increase funding for the state constituencies within their financial capabilities to make up whatever shortfall there may be.
Goh, who is also President of the Federation of Chinese Associations Sabah (FCAS) and the Federation of Sabah and Labuan Hokkien Associations (FSLHA) said this when officiating at the Lahad Datu Hokkien Association (LDHA) new premises here last Friday.
Also in attendance were President of LDHA Councillor Tan Cheng Teng, its Founder cum Honorary Life President Datuk Seah Cher Ming, its Honorary Life President Lim Beng Fatt , FSLHA Honorary Life Presidents Datuk Teo Ming Chong and LDHA Deputy President Seah Yee Shu, among others.
Goh also expressed concern over the Federal Government’s recent move to significantly reduce annual funding for parliamentary constituencies from RM 3.8 million previously to RM1.3 million.
He pointed out that it has significantly reduced the development allocation for parliamentary members by RM 2.5 million or two-third of the original allocation.
He reiterated that instead of applying a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach, the Government should be more practical when it comes to funding of development for parliamentary constituencies.
