Recently, a report stated that the Sarawak government is planning to erect the country’s highest flagpole to fly the Sarawak flag in Petra Jaya.
According to a source who told the Borneo Post, the proposed flagpole will be 99 metres tall which is 4 metres higher than the nation’s current tallest flagpole at Merdeka Square in Kuala Lumpur and is expected to cost about RM30 million.
It is believed that the flagpole is being erected to mark Sarawak’s achievements in regaining its rights and privileges under the Malaysia Agreement 1963.
What is the point?
The decision by the state government has since drawn backlash as Malaysians as well as politicians took to the social media to criticise the project.
One of the most critical of the proposed project is Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii who took to Facebook to share his thoughts on the matter.
In his post he wrote, “The claims that the project is funded by the private sector as a CSR actually opens up more questions than answers and they cannot just push the matter to CSR and wash their hands off the matter.”
“It is important to have a clear breakdown of the cost of the project, which is said to be 99 metres reportedly costing up to RM30 million.”
Yii said that in comparison, the tallest flagpole in the world which is located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia which stands at 171 metres actually cost less and was built at cost of SAR18.7million which is equivalent to about RM21million.
He went on to call the state government to be more transparent about the parties involved in the project and that it is imperative that the government is transparent and continue to be held accountable on this matter to ensure that no public funds are being used for this project nor are there conflict of interest in the matter.
“This should include not just revealing the identity of the private entity who is willing to spend so much money on a flagpole. On top of that it is important to have a clear breakdown of the cost of the project,” he explained.
“If really it was initiated by the private entity, then why did the Sarawak Government approved such a project when there are many other more important priorities which RM30 million could go a long way to address and directly benefit general Sarawakians.”
He said that the government could’ve easily advised the company to better use such funds to invest in public infrastructure, affordable housing or even in our health or education, or to feed the poor in the community.
“That is why i continue to hold on to the believe that this clearly is a case of misplaced priority and a misplaced ‘obsession of optics over substance’,” he concluded.
What do you think of his take on the matter? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section.
