KOTA KINABALU – Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today admitted that there is a glaring development imbalance in Sabah compared to the peninsula, despite the state being rich in natural resources.
Although Sabah has fared better than some states, he said, it is more of a region, therefore, its development gap is big.
“For this, it is obvious that the development gap is far (more) huge compared to Peninsular Malaysia.”
He said there needs to be clarity on what kind of imbalance Sabah is experiencing, so as to guide its development over the next 10 years.
“How does the per capita income in Sabah fare than my state, Johor? Of course, my state is better than Sabah.
“So, this is an area of concern. The government must work to bring balance and remove the disparity in per capita income, for instance,” he said in response to questions raised during a town hall at the Sabah Administrative Building here.
Muhyiddin said the federal government will look at ways to tackle disparity between states, including providing aid to spur an increase in household income.
Putrajaya will do the same for infrastructure, he said, building roads and other amenities to ensure Sabah is on a par with other states.
“One of the areas we are looking at is the speedy completion of the Pan Borneo Highway, so that local businesses can market their products in other parts of East Malaysia,” he said, adding that other sectors to assist include tourism and agriculture.
This will ensure balanced development between states, he said.
Job creation
Muhyiddin said he is aware that business activities are limited in Sabah, and there are certain sectors that do not have a presence in the state.
He said the government will look into the issues hampering the development of economic activities, whether this is due to a lack of amenities, roads or experts.
“So, how will we create more job opportunities, either in the public or private sector? Maybe, we need to look at ways to woo more investors to Sabah.
“Maybe, we need to introduce more incentives, or provide logistics or other solutions.” – The Vibes, March 22, 2021
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