KOTA KINABALU – Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal has no issue supporting Perikatan Nasional’s 2021 Budget if it has the right focus, including overcoming the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Sabah opposition leader, in a statement, said the state’s healthcare sector lags far behind, with more doctors and medical facilities needed.
“There is no problem supporting the Budget if it truly hits the right focus for us.
“In Sabah, for one, the health system is still far behind – not only an insufficient number of doctors, but also hospitals.
“A few days ago, I spoke to medical frontliners in Sabah’s east coast, where community halls on islands are being converted into quarantine centres.
“The mainland hospitals don’t have enough space to accommodate patients from the islands, so if we can build more medical facilities near (these patients), it will ease their burden.
“This would be the kind of Budget that is caring to the people.”
The Semporna MP said the Budget must not focus only on development, but also people and businesses badly affected by the virus crisis.
Many companies have gone bankrupt or been forced to close down, but the government still collects some RM160 billion in annual taxes from them, he said. – The Vibes, October 27, 2020
