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KOTA KINABALU: Umno Supreme Council Member Abdul Rahman Dahlan agrees with his former boss Najib Razak’s “look at Borneo” proposal, but says the federal government must have the courage to implement such a big change .
Rahman, who was a minister in the former prime minister’s cabinet, is confident that Sabah and Sarawak could be the new economic catalysts for Malaysia, but this needs the government to review its economic strategy.
Adding to Najib’s proposal, he said he had suggested various improvements when he was the minister in charge of the economic planning unit in the prime minister’s department.
One suggestion, he said, was that the federal government should channel cash allocations directly to state governments rather than through federal ministries.
“The state government will identify the appropriate projects, manage the bidding process, monitor the status of the projects, conduct the audit, and report everything to the federal government later,” he said in a Facebook post today.
“With cash allocations, the governments of Sabah and Sarawak can improve the efficiency of their delivery system (as) state ministry officials cannot maximize their performance because they manage projects based on small state funds.
Rahman said that since Sabah and Sarawak have ministries similar to those of the federal government, many of the tasks could be taken over by the states without major problems.
“With this approach, the two state governments can decide which project to prioritize for the good of their people.
“Decisions are no longer dictated by bureaucrats who sit far away in Putrajaya and who would not fully understand the needs of the locals in Sabah and Sarawak.
On top of that, he said, the federal government would also save a lot on management costs, as its officers would not have to repeatedly fly and stay at hotels in the two states.
“This is a win-win situation, the federal government dramatically reduces management costs, the state government maximizes its ministries, and people are served efficiently.”
In yesterday’s Dewan Rakyat, Najib said Malaysian companies should be encouraged to invest in Sabah and Sarawak, which have strong growth potential, noting that East Malaysian states are rich in natural resources.
The Pekan MP added that such a move would also be beneficial with Indonesia moving its administrative capital to Kalimantan.
Rahman said another suggestion was that the federal government should develop a policy that forces manufacturers and companies to optimize product prices across the country.
“You don’t need a price in the peninsula and another for Sabah and Sarawak, which is higher.
“The usual excuse from manufacturers and companies was that the higher prices in Sabah and Sarawak were due to shipping costs,” he said.
Rahman added that it was puzzling why shipping costs are not taken into account for “distant” states like Kelantan and Perlis as well, on the peninsula.
“This means that consumers in manufacturing states like Selangor, Johor and Penang are paying a bit more to subsidize shipping costs to non-manufacturing states like Kelantan and Perlis.”
He said that the rationalization of prices across the country will not cause major problems, as consumers in Sabah and Sarawak and the quantity purchased are smaller compared to the peninsula.
“This is not only fair economic policy, but it is also a moral obligation of the federal government,” Rahman said.
