KUCHING, Oct 8: The RM5.4 billion development allocation for Sarawak only accounted for 1.5 per cent, while Sabah’s RM6.3 billion is merely a 1.7 per cent of the total RM372.3 billion allocation for Budget 2023. Does this look fair?
Questioning this, political pundit Dato Peter Minos said that Sarawak deserves more or at least the same allocation of the RM6.3 billion development allocation given to Sabah in Budget 2023, considering the fact that Sarawak is much bigger in size compared to Sabah.
“Not only is the RM5.4 billion development allocation for Sarawak unfair, but the overall allocation for both the Borneo states is too little.
“Why is the Federal government only giving such a small share to Sarawak and Sabah? It was the same pattern last year. We (Sarawak) always get less than Sabah. What is the criteria or basis for this (distribution of budget)?” he questioned in a statement today.
Minos pointed out that the constitutional equality Sarawak gained is not being matched in equality of funding from the Federal.
The Kota Samarahan Municipal Council (MPKS) chairman stressed that given the size of Sarawak, it requires substantial funding to implement infrastructure projects of all kinds including roads, bridges, water and electricity, health facilities, schools and many other areas which are obviously still lacking.
“Both Sarawak and Sabah deserve much much more than those in Malaya. We need more funds not only for infrastructure development but for the many people still struggling economically in the rural parts of the two States,” he said.
Fighting real rural poverty and economic backwardness in rural parts of Sarawak and Sabah, Minos continued, is vital if both the Borneo states want to catch up with the already more advanced Malaya.
While it is expected of the Federal government to give Sarawak and Sabah a big push so that the entire nation can prosper and progress together, he said it looks like Sarawak will have to rely on its own limited funds.
“The Federal government does help but hardly enough, while Petronas is not too friendly or generous even though it got rich from our oil and gas resources.
“If the current national budget distribution continues on like this, there is very little hope Sarawak and Sabah can ever be at par with Malaya, economically speaking. We will be slow to catch up with Malaya. This does not bode well for us, neither is this good for our nation,” he added. — DayakDaily
