By WU VUIDE
KOTA KINABALU: Veteran politician Datuk David Chong Ket Sui said Parti Warisan Tanjung Aru candidate Datuk Wong Hong Jun has been telling people that he will be appointed finance minister if he wins in this week’s 17th Sabah General Election.
“He has been going around telling the people in Tanjung Aru, Sembulan and Kota Kinabalu during campaigning that he will become the finance minister.
“He claimed that Warisan President Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal has already given him that position,” he said.
“I received a lot of feedback from the people on the ground asking whether it is true. I said if Shafie promised him, then let him take up the post,” he added.
He said Shafie had previously mentioned that if Warisan wins the Sabah election, a Chinese will be appointed as finance minister as recognition of their long-term contribution to the economic development in the state.
The finance minister is one of the most senior positions in the Cabinet after the chief minister, he said.
He believes that Wong was motivated to pursue the post based on the fact that he is one of the three Vice Presidents of Warisan representing the Chinese quota, while the other two represent the Malay and Kadazan quotas.
If Wong becomes finance minister, he must look after the people of Sabah and work to improve the state’s economy.
“Chinese are well known for their acumen in economics and business. Even the Prime Minister has encouraged non-Chinese to learn from the Chinese on how to run businesses and manage the economy.
“Everywhere in the world, the Chinese are involved in business, so we can learn from them.
“So, if he is appointed finance minister, I hope he will help strengthen Sabah’s economy because the Chinese have proven their ability and capability to improve business and economic sectors everywhere in the world,” he said.
He added that Wong should also look after the education system because many Chinese schools now have large numbers of non-Chinese students as well as the health system.
after the chief minister.
