SANDAKAN – It has never been the intention of the federal government to sideline Sabah when it comes to development, said Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
He said when he was the rural development minister, the then Barisan Nasional government had allocated 50% of the total development fund to Sabah and Sarawak, and now Budget 2022 has allocated the highest development fund to Sabah.
“Even when I was with the Foreign (Ministry), I focused on Sabah’s development. Now as prime minister (PM), I will surely focus on Sabah. We will take Sabah out of the doldrums of poverty,” Ismail Sabri said in his speech during a meeting with Sandakan community leaders at Sabah Hotel here, today.
He was responding to Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin’s speech that pleaded with the PM to shed Sabah of its “poorest state in Malaysia” title.
“We never had the slightest intention to leave Sabah behind (in development). Where there are opportunities and space for Sabah’s development, we will do it.
“As we all know, Sabah is big. If the RM5.2 billion allocation was given to Perlis, we could build a highway that could reach each house in the state. Sabah’s size is equivalent to several states in Peninsular Malaysia, which is why it takes time to develop the state,” Ismail Sabri said.
He also said the government will be discussing with Indonesia on how to develop the districts at the border between Kalimantan and Sabah during his visit to the country next week.
“I will meet with Indonesian President Joko Widodo to discuss how we can develop districts at the border of Kalimantan. Of course, such a plan would also mean that we will be developing infrastructure in the area.
“Maybe these towns (at the border) could be developed into tourism towns for the people from Kalimantan,” he said.
Meanwhile, on the Pan Borneo Highway project, Ismail Sabri assured that all the packages will be completed, be it from the government allocation, to private finance initiatives (PFIs).
“We will continue the project until it is completed. I am currently discussing an alternative way to get PFIs for the project because it cannot be done using toll collection. We cannot impose tolls in Sabah and Sarawak,” he said.
It is Ismail Sabri’s maiden visit to Sandakan after being at the helm. He is scheduled to launch the east coast packages of the Pan Borneo Highway in Kinabatangan tomorrow.
Bung in his speech earlier said Sabahans have been criticising the government for claiming that the state will be treated as an equal partner, yet this was not reflected in the allocation given to Sabah in Budget 2022.
“We hope the PM will use his authority and provide ‘relaxation’ (on budget allocations). If possible, at least 10% of the overall budget should be given to Sabah. That is the way for Sabah to escape poverty. I hope this will be considered in the coming year,” he said.
He said with the allocation for Sabah’s infrastructure, it will take 37 years to complete the first phase of the Pan Borneo Highway project.
“I am sorry for making such a sentiment (now), but there are a lot of people who have pleaded with me to ask for the PM to help Sabah. I am confident that with the PM’s help, Sabah will escape poverty within three to four years,” he said. – The Vibes, November 5, 2021
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