Kuala Lumpur: Skilled Sabahans are leaving the state due to poor wages and limited job opportunities, said Kota Belud MP Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis.
Speaking during the Dewan Rakyat sitting on Monday (May 5), she said many qualified and talented Sabahans in their respective fields have no choice but to leave the state, either to Peninsular Malaysia or overseas, in order to earn a decent living.
“Even if there are vacancies in Sabah, the salaries offered are nowhere near what is paid elsewhere. This is backed by data from the Department of Statistics, which shows that businesses in Sabah consistently offer among the lowest wages in the country,” she said.
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.defineSlot('/22826383987/dailyexpress_inline', [1, 1], 'gpt-passback').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.enableServices();googletag.display('gpt-passback');});The result, she said, is a weakened local economy and a widening development gap, where young professionals are underutilised or lost entirely to other regions.
She also cited growing competition from foreign workers as another layer of pressure, particularly in industries requiring technical skills, stressing the need for long-term workforce protection and policies that prioritise Malaysian talents.
Addressing the structural roots of the issue, Isnaraissah pointed out that Malaysia’s investment in research and development (R&D) remains insufficient.
She said the current ratio — where 59pc of R&D funding comes from the government and only 41pc from the private sector — does not reflect a balanced or sustainable model.
“Compare that with Singapore, where they spend 2pc of their GDP on R&D, mostly contributed by the private sector. We’re at just 1pc, and the private sector’s role here is still limited,” she said.
She also pressed for urgent reforms in the TVET and STEM education ecosystem, particularly in Sabah, noting that it must be made more attractive, engaging and accessible — not just in cities, but in rural and remote communities as well.
Isnaraissah challenged the government’s continued focus on external models like Japan and Korea through the “Look East” policy while neglecting Malaysia’s own eastern region.
“Why do we look to the far East when our own East — Sabah and Sarawak — remains rich in resources but underdeveloped?” she asked, highlighting Sabah’s strategic location, fertile land, mineral wealth, and green and blue economy potential.
She also raised the issue of carbon trading, urging the federal government to clarify the status of Sabah’s rights over carbon credit revenues, saying the ambiguity is hindering the state’s ability to benefit from its environmental assets.
To address these structural inequalities, Isnaraissah called for significantly larger allocations for Sabah under the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK13), especially for infrastructure, education, connectivity, and industry modernisation.
She warned that over-reliance on states like Penang, Johor and Selangor which she described as the “breadwinners” of the national economy could leave Malaysia vulnerable to global trade disruptions such as retaliatory tariffs from major powers.
“Development must be more balanced across all regions. Every state, including Sabah, has its own unique economy and market. We can’t afford to keep building the nation on just a few shoulders,” she said.