Kota Kinabalu: Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) Sabah Chairperson Datin Soh Kee Suat called for urgent action on urban planning and revenue distribution.
She said this in reaction to the landslide at Kampung Cenderakasih here that claimed several lives and the floodings across Kota Kinabalu, Papar, Membakut, Sepanggar, Beaufort, Damai, Luyang and Penampang.
The disasters have left many parts of Sabah without electricity and highlighted long-standing infrastructure deficiencies across the State.
“These disasters could have been mitigated with proper town and city planning,” said Soh. She attributed the inadequate planning to chronic underfunding of Sabah’s development over the past six decades.
She said the ongoing dispute over federal revenue sharing, noting that while the Federal Constitution stipulates 40 per cent of taxes collected from Sabah should be returned to the state, this matter remains unresolved.
“This funding shortfall has prevented proper drainage systems and road infrastructure development throughout our towns and cities,” she said.
She pointed out the vulnerability of settlements like Kampung Cenderakasih, built on steep terrain, which she said could have been relocated with adequate State resources.
As a solution to these systemic issues, Soh proposed that Sabah should exit from Malaysia to gain control over its own funds and development, free from federal government constraints.