Unsuccessful longhouse and NGO applicants advised to reapply

SIBU: Second Finance Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh yesterday said he had no choice but to disappoint some of the organisations that had applied for Minor Rural Projects (MRP) funds from him.

SUCCESSFUL ONES: Wong (second left) presents MRP fund to Toh Hong Hui from Special Olympics Sibu (SOS). Looking on are (from left) See Meng, SOS chairman Jason Tai, and James.

“I received hundreds of applications every year and I could not possibly fulfil all the requests,” he said.

And not all who had got the funds would be happy with the amount given, he added.

Wong, who is also Envi-ronment and Public Health Minister as well as Bawang Assan assemblyman, said he had to take care of more than 100 longhouses and many non-governmental-organisations (NGOs).

“It’s not easy to take care of all,” he reiterated, adding that the priority was to help the longhouses.

The minister was speaking at his office in Wisma Sanyan before handing out MRP funds totalling RM406,000 to 97 recipients.

He advised those who had requested for the fund but did not get it this time to try it again next year.

“For those recipients who feel that they need more than they have been given, request for more,” he advised.

District Officer Wong See Meng, JKR divisional engi-neer Vincent Tang Chok Khing and the Minister’s secretary, James Wong assisted in distributing the funds.