Kota Kinabalu: Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Functions) Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali hopes Sabah will be given a bigger allocation in the 2023 Budget to enable more development for the State.
“As a leader from Sabah, I hope the Federal Government will not only increase the allocations but continue towards bringing more development to the State.
With the new Budget to be announced this Friday (Feb 24), he said these were some things that he hoped the Federal Government would commit to giving Sabah.
Armizan said after Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim took office not long ago, there had been a lot of changes and rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) that had been given back to the State.
“We see the commitment so far by the PM after he took office and in the aspects of MA63, it has started rolling,” he said during a press conference after an award and medal presentation programme with State Civil Defence officials, here, on Sunday.
He said these matters under MA63 had been long awaited, including the devolution of authority and empowerment of state agencies.
Citing an example, Armizan said the PM had announced in January that all government projects in Sabah and Sarawak below the budget of RM50 million would now be decided by the state governments themselves.
“The PM also said if these works can be carried out smoothly, he would not hesitate to increase the amount of self-handled projects for Sabah and Sarawak,” he said.
“Therefore, we can see that not only in terms of allocation, the devolution of power and implementations as well as empowerment for state agencies to handle these projects are being given back,” he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said the Government will strive to continue helping the rubber smallholders, including the plans for this group under Budget 2023.
Fadillah, who is also Minister of Plantation and Commodities, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is expected to touch on the plans, including for rubber smallholders, when tabling Budget 2023 this Friday.
“Insya-Allah, the Prime Minister will touch on whatever plans we have relating to the rubber smallholders (in Budget 2023).
“This is considering that not only the rubber sector, in fact, smallholders in the oil palm and other plantation sectors also make significant contributions to the country,” he said to reporters after officiating the International Rubber Conference (IRC) 2023, in Kuala Lumpur, Monday.
Fadillah said the efforts are also in line with the Government’s focus and approach not only in terms of the economy but also social in closing the gap in poverty, income and development that is sustainable.
“Not many see (the role and contribution) of the smallholders. In the United Nations (UN), for instance, the objective is to close the income gap and eradicate poverty,” he said.
* Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss.
* Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
