[WATCH] Rich in resources, poor in services: Sabah’s wealth yet to translate into public benefit: Junz Wong

KUALA LUMPUR – Sabah is often described as one of Malaysia’s most resource-rich states, with abundant reserves of oil, gas and palm oil contributing significantly to the national economy. Yet for many residents, that wealth has not translated into reliable basic services or infrastructure on the ground.

Parti Warisan vice-president Datuk Junz Wong said chronic issues such as water shortages, frequent electricity disruptions and deteriorating road conditions continue to affect daily life across the state, despite its strong production of key commodities.

Wong, who is the former Sabah Minister of Agriculture and Food Industries, said the core issue is not a lack of natural wealth, but Sabah’s limited control over how those resources are managed and monetised.

"Just oil and gas alone, Sabah has the biggest oil reserve in Malaysia. The second is Sarawak. Sarawak has the biggest gas reserve in Malaysia and the second is Sabah," he said during a recent episode of Trick Lama hosted by Editor-in-Chief Terence Fernandez, Big Boom Media executive director Datuk “Rocky” Ahirudin Attan and Big Boom Media chief executive officer Datuk Zainul Arifin Mohammed Isa.

However, he said everyday realities in Sabah remain difficult under the current administration.

“Under this current government in Sabah, that problem continues,” said the Tanjung Aru assemblyman, adding that he had been informed of prolonged water supply disruptions in the city lasting up to 10 days.

“They have electricity cut off for weeks,” he said, adding that road conditions remain another persistent complaint.

"If you look at all the basic infrastructures in Sabah, then you realise that, not to mention road, it's even worse lah. It's even worse, so many people die on the roads in Sabah."

Wong said the imbalance between resource wealth and lived reality is driving growing political awareness in the state.

"Build our infrastructures, build our basic utilities and the basic transport accessibility. Very basic things you should build for us,” the Kota Kinabalu Division Chief urged.

He added that during Warisan’s administration between 2018 and 2020, efforts were made to reclaim economic powers that would allow Sabah to retain more value from its own resources.

"We started off trying to get our rights, and we have successfully done a few," he said.

One example he cited was the bird’s nest industry, where licensing for downstream processing had previously been controlled by the federal government despite Sabah’s strong raw supply.

"So we should actually export our own bird nests," Wong said.

Following the return of licensing authority, he said local businesses began to emerge in the sector.

"So when we did that, there were a lot of bird nest shops opened up in the city area that started selling bird nests to the tourists,” he added.

For Wong, this illustrated a broader principle about economic control and development outcomes.

"So I always say the Sabah's power is actually our wealth. If we are able to bring back that power to Sabah, the wealth will come back together with us, because the natural resources are in Sabah,” he explained.

He also pointed to tourism as another sector where centralised licensing had limited local participation.

He said that for years, permits for operators around Sipadan Island—one of the world’s premier diving destinations—were issued by federal agencies.

Wong said Warisan later succeeded in having the authority transferred back to the state.

"So that, we successfully brought it back to Sabah, and now it's with Sabah Tourism."

As a result, he said, local operators are now the main beneficiaries.

"So naturally, all the operators now are Sabahans. So this money now should be given back to Sabahans who are working around that area,” Wong said.

However, he argued that similar challenges persist in other parts of the tourism sector, including licensing for travel agencies and commercial transport services.

"Meaning to say, if I want to start up my own agencies, I need to go to KL to give me a licence for me to be an operator of tourism in my very own land."

He said a similar pattern is evident in the palm oil industry, where Sabah—Malaysia’s largest producer—has historically lacked significant downstream brands, with much of its raw output processed elsewhere.

"So, all this palm oil will be sent to KL. So, KL will now start to open up industries and then ask Sabahans to come here (KL) to work,” he added.

Despite ongoing debates over state rights and resource control, many Sabahans remain focused on everyday concerns such as utilities, transport and infrastructure.

As discussions on greater state autonomy and the implementation of rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 continue, the gap between Sabah’s resource wealth and public services remains a central question: how can one of Malaysia’s richest states in natural resources still struggle to deliver basic amenities to its people? - June 22, 2026

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