Kota Kinabalu: Sekong Assemblyman Alias Sani questioned the provision of millions of additional allocations to Sabah if water and electricity problems continue to affect people all over the State.
“What is the point of having additional allocations if they are not spent to solve water and electricity supply problems?” he asked during the debate session in the State Assembly.
“Effective action is needed to solve water and power supply problems which negatively impact the people’s welfare and threatens the state’s development,” he said.
He recounted water and electricity problems that hit the Women and Children’s Hospital on July 23 2023 and the State’s Main General Hospital, Queen Elizabeth, on April 20 last year.
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In December 2021, he said, Sabah borrowed RM500 million from the federal government to manage the state’s water supply. However, the problem remains unsolved to this day.
“We don’t want the repeat of the Sabah water scandal, in which RM44 million was uncovered in the office, car and home of the former director,” said Sani.
He also urged the state government to give more priority to improving basic infrastructure rather than spending on billboards, landscaping and signboards on the rebranding of Sabah Maju Jaya.
“The funds can be better spent to ensure reliable supply of clean water and power, improve facilities of rural schools and internet facilities in the interior, as well as constructing and repairing dilapidated bridges in the state,” he said.
He also noted the proposed almost RM1 billion additional provisions for Sabah is not inclusive of special allocations amounting RM600 million in the Federal Budget 2023.
For 2023, he said, RM833 million was proposed as additional provisions and did not include RM600 million in special allocations announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for Sabah and Sarawak, especially for entrepreneurs and small businesses.
“Does this amount include the special allocations for Sabah provided by federal? With the federal-approved special allocations, therefore additional provisions for Sabah should not even reach RM1 billion,” he added.
He also questioned if the proposed additional provisions took into account of Sabah’s financial position, impact and projection on the state.
In previous years, additional provisions for Sabah amounted RM688 million in 2022 and RM553 million in 2023.
“What measures has the Ministry of Rural Affairs undertaken to help the youths in rural areas, especially in the three poverty-stricken districts such as Pitas, Kota Marudu and Tongod?”
He stressed Sabah’s poverty rate was recorded at 7.7pc in 2023, according to the Malaysian Department of Statistics, and even peaked 8.6pc for the second quarter of 2022.
Furthermore, Sabahans sought jobs in Peninsular Malaysia due to the lack of career opportunities in Sabah.
Sani noted the State Finance Ministry received the highest total distribution of RM2.16 billion followed by the Ministry of Works with RM1.16 billion in the State 2023 budget.
In light of the RM1.5 trillion national debt, he said the target deficit needs to be reduced and Sabah has an important role to play in maintaining the country’s financial position.
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