PETALING JAYA: Increased federal allocations to Sabah and Sarawak must translate into completed projects and better public services, rather than remain figures announced in government budgets, say political analysts.
Universiti Malaya socio-political analyst Awang Azman Pawi said Sabah and Sarawak affairs minister Mustapha Sakmud's recent acknowledgement of persistent development shortcomings signalled a greater willingness to scrutinise the effectiveness of federal spending.
He said the remarks were significant because they shifted attention from how much funding Putrajaya provided to whether development projects were actually benefiting the people.
"Politically, this reflects a shift from the politics of announcing allocations to one of delivering development outcomes," he said, as quoted by FMT.
Mustapha said last Thursday that the government could not be satisfied with announcing billions of ringgit in allocations when their benefits had yet to reach the people.
He acknowledged continuing problems involving roads, water and electricity supply, as well as delays affecting major federal projects, including the Pan Borneo Highway.
According to Mustapha, federal allocations for Sabah increased from RM13 billion in 2022 to RM17.6 billion this year, while Sarawak's rose from RM10.2 billion to RM15.1 billion over the same period.
Awang Azman said Mustapha's position showed that federal leaders from Sabah and Sarawak should go beyond securing development funds and play a more active role in ensuring projects were delivered.
"Sabah leaders at the federal level are not only responsible for securing allocations. They must also be willing to press ministries and implementing agencies to ensure every ringgit delivers benefits to the people," he said.
He said the acknowledgement could encourage greater accountability, but warned that meaningful improvements would require tighter project monitoring, greater transparency and action to address implementation delays.
"Political trust is not built through acknowledgement alone, but through evidence that problems are being resolved," he said.
Awang Azman also called for measurable performance indicators and regular public updates to allow the public to assess project progress.
State leaders also have a roleMeanwhile, Akademi Nusantara's Azmi Hassan said Mustapha's remarks should prompt both federal and state leaders to reassess their roles in addressing Sabah and Sarawak's development challenges.
He said it was no longer sufficient to attribute development problems solely to Putrajaya, particularly where federal funding had been approved but implementation remained slow.
"The strategy of blaming the federal government may have worked at one time, but not now," he said.
Azmi said weaknesses in project management and implementation also deserved attention, alongside questions over funding.
He described Mustapha's acknowledgement as particularly significant because it came from a federal minister representing Sabah and Sarawak.
According to Azmi, the remarks should serve as a wake-up call for political leaders in both states to recognise shortcomings in development delivery, including those inherited from previous administrations.
The analysts' assessments highlight the need to look beyond allocation announcements and examine how effectively federal and state authorities translate approved funding into projects that improve people's daily lives.
