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KOTA KINABALU: A lower allocation of RM5.1bil for Sabah development under the 2021 Budget is disappointing for the state, says Datuk Seri Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan (Photo) said.
Sabah’s chief deputy minister said the allocation was less than last year’s budget of RM5.2bil awarded for 2020 and gave the impression that the federal government was treating Sabah in the way that previous federal governments had always done. .
Jeffrey said he expected the federal government to allocate more in next year’s federal budget for Sabah’s infrastructure development once the battle with Covid-19 was over.
“Increasing the infrastructure development fund for Sabah is crucial as the state is desperate to keep up with its neighbors.
“The federal government had a policy of ‘shared prosperity’ and Sabah, being an equal partner in the federation, must also share in the benefits of this policy,” said the president of Sabah STAR, who is a member of the Perikatan Nasional government.
However, Jeffrey said that the state government could understand the general economic downturn it faces not only in Malaysia but also in many other countries globally.
He said the government was also forced to reserve RM17bil to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Judging from the distribution of the development fund, we could see that Sabah will benefit not only from the RM5.1bil specified for Sabah.
“Total development spending is RM69bil and includes various projects, including the Pan Borneo highway in Sabah, agricultural development, economic corridors, and various other incentives aimed at stimulating the economy.
“Under the budget, the federal government also announced a special grant of RM1,000 for merchants, taxi drivers, e-call drivers and tour guides in Sabah,” said Jeffrey, who is a Keningau MP.
Jeffrey, who is minister of Agriculture and Food Industry, said his ministry would work closely with the federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry to leverage agricultural commodities and funds.
He said this would ensure that Sabahans would benefit from the vast agricultural funds set at RM 4.8 billion.
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