KOTA KINABALU – Sabah DAP has slammed the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government over certain items in its state Budget 2022 that was unveiled yesterday.
State DAP secretary Phoong Jin Zhe lambasted the state government for halving Kota Kinabalu City Hall’s (DBKK) allocation for flood mitigation, from this year’s RM500,000 to RM250,000 in 2022.
“I never knew the government could predict less rainfall in the upcoming year.”
He added that the reduction in flood mitigation funding here shows that the GRS government is not concerned about the recurring issue.
Those who stay in Kota Kinabalu have to experience flooding on a monthly basis; lowland areas have it worse as there are floods every time it rains.
“However, the chief minister’s office only allocated RM250,000 in 2022 to address flash floods through the Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK). The budget was halved compared to 2021.
“It is public knowledge that flash floods are one of the most important issues in Kota Kinabalu,” he said in a statement today.
Phoong, who is Luyang assemblyman, said DBKK urgently needs the budget to upgrade and improve the city’s drainage system, especially in residential areas.
He added that the existing drainage system is worn out, unable to cope with the high water volume when it rains.
Allocations for flood mitigation planning under the state’s Agriculture and Fisheries Ministry were RM5.28 million but decreased to RM2.69 million in 2021.
In the 2022 budget, only RM2 million is allocated.
“Operating expenditure increased approximately 7% to 8% while the development expenditure increased from RM964 million to a total of RM1.368 billion, an increase of 30%. However, the budget to address issues of flooding was slashed.”
Yesterday, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Md Noor announced a RM4.6 billion budget for 2022.
Improve water supply, Sandakan MP urges
DAP’s Sandakan MP Vivian Wong has questioned the state government over the water supply system that has been languishing for the past 50 years despite millions of ringgit allocated each year.
Wong said the Sabah Water Department has been posting water supply disruption notices on its Facebook page every single day from November 1 to 30.
“Under the recently tabled Budget 2022, a total of RM129.4 million is allocated for Sabah rural water supply under the federal Rural Development Ministry.
“Every year, there is a sizable amount of budget allocated for water supply for Sabah. Are there any key performance indexes to monitor and review those water supply projects being implemented?” Wong asked during the committee stage debate for the ministry in Parliament this week.
She said the water supply disruption is a universal problem, affecting bigger cities like Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan, and even rural towns such as Kota Marudu and Kuala Penyu.
Every city, every town, every village in Sabah is facing the same issue. In fact, the Sabah Water Department’s Facebook page shares almost nothing else but water supply disruption notices.”
During the debate, Wong also highlighted the government’s failure to provide permanent access roads to the rural communities in the state even though billions have been allocated for rural roads development.
“For 2022, a total of RM1.074 billion is allocated to the ministry under ‘rural roads’. How many percent of this allocation is actually for Sabah? Does this allocation include the maintenance and fixing of existing rural roads?”
“Every year during the rainy season, my office will receive numerous complaints from residents living in the outskirts of Sandakan on how their access roads have been rendered useless due to heavy rain.”
She said without proper road access, it is impossible to improve the economic livelihood of the rural community.
“It is no wonder why 8 out of the 10 poorest districts in Malaysia are in Sabah.”
Palm oil industry neglected
DAP’s Elopura assemblyman Calvin Chong accused the Sabah government of neglecting the palm oil industry even though it is the largest contributor to the state’s economy.
He said the state’s Budget 2022 did not have sufficient allocation for the palm oil industry, despite the various taxes imposed on industry players.
“The palm oil prices are increasing, but so are the taxes imposed by the government.”
“However, allocation to develop this industry is not clear in the state Budget 2022,” he said in a statement today.
Yesterday, Hajiji’s budget allocated RM129.97 million for the industrial and trade sector under the Sabah Industrial Development Ministry, Sabah Rural Development Ministry, and Sabah Finance Ministry.
Of that figure, RM65.97 million was set aside for the Sabah Industrial Development Ministry, including the Industrial Development and Research Department to improve basic infrastructure in the state’s industrial parks.
A total of RM116.67 million has been approved by the ministry for the development of Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park, Palm Oil Industrial Cluster (POIC) Lahad Datu, and Sipitang Oil and Gas Industrial Park.
However, there was no allocation for POIC Sandakan.
Sandakan is among districts that produce the largest volume of crude palm oil in Sabah; how is it that POIC Sandakan has no allocation?”
He said Hajiji had announced that Sabah is to record its highest revenue ever this year with RM4.912 billion, as state revenue collection is expected to increase by 9.6% or RM430.67 million in 2021.
“This is contributed by the higher prices of crude palm oil and crude petroleum, which recorded gains against forecasts in the 2021 revenue estimates.
“That being announced, the government should consider more allocation for the palm oil industry as it is giving promising returns and is not making the state lose money.”
Chong also said that the roads in the plantation areas need to be upgraded to reduce logistical costs for the operators.
“The palm oil plantation owners have had their lorries damaged because of the terrible road conditions.” – The Vibes, December 4, 2021
