KOTA KINABALU – Considerations to share the national budget among the three regions – Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia – have not been decided, Deputy Finance Minister I Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said as he embarked on a tour to gather public thoughts on Budget 2024.
He said the present allocations are still made out, based on practical considerations such as each region and even state’s specific needs.
“We have not decided on a regional formula. We are still looking at the (allocation) matters by the separate states.
“Pahang, for instance, is the largest state in the peninsula and also requires a substantial budget.
“But, reflecting on the developmental allocation Sabah received last year, it was the largest amount…I anticipate the state will continue to receive a huge allocation in Budget 2024,” Ahmad said after chairing the National Budget Tour dialogue for Sabah in the state capital today.
From states, the status of Sabah and Sarawak as regions was restored via a constitutional amendment.
Calls have been made to allocate at least a third of the national budget for their development projects in a bid to achieve their parity with the peninsula.
Sabah received RM6.5 billion – around 6% – of the total developmental budget of RM99 billion in Budget 2023, the largest made out to the state to date.
The monies were designated for 1,114 projects in Sabah this year, said Ahmad.
Further to this, he also highlighted the positive impact of the federal government’s Rahmah cash aid programme in Sabah, where Putrajaya has spent RM666 million for the state alone.
Minimal changes
He said 769,815 Sabahans have benefitted from the aid that Putrajaya has spent, to cover 370,000 households, 81,000 senior citizens, and 347,000 singles.
Ahmad Maslan believes that there will be minimal changes in the forthcoming budget tabling, as the government will continue to focus on the improvements of public amenities, water supply, electricity and roads, and also address socio-economic issues.
Meanwhile, the four-hour dialogue saw the participation of approximately 400 individuals, including community leaders and politicians, who posed 19 questions to the deputy minister.
One question posted to Ahmad was: would Putrajaya be made to reveal the revenue it has collected from Sabah?
This question came in view of Sabah’s constitutional revenue entitlement of 40%, which mandates the return of this amount to Sabah, as outlined in Article 112 (C) and Part IV of the Tenth Schedule in the federal constitution.
Sabah was the fifth venue for the Budget 2024 tour destinations.
Prior to the Land Below The Wind, the Budget 2024 tour made stops in Malacca, Johor, Penang, and Pahang. The tour will continue in Sarawak on September 15. – The Vibes, September 6, 2023
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