SANDAKAN – Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), which heads the Sabah government, and its Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Mohd Noor must fight for Sabah to receive more allocation from the federal government, said Warisan deputy president Datuk Darell Leiking.
The Penampang MP said the federal government’s debts have been increasing to fund Budget 2020 and 2021, as well as the 12th Malaysia Plan, and it would not be surprising if ordinary Sabahans end up bearing the debts through tax regimes, duties, compounds and abolishment of certain subsidies.
“It is imperative that the GRS-led state government and the chief minister muster every courage that they have to fight for the appropriate quotas for Sabah because it is the state government’s obligation and responsibility.
“Sabah’s experience of being neglected in relation to the country’s vaccine dose distribution early this year should have taught GRS a lesson in being assertive and firm so Sabahans receive what they rightfully entitled to,” he said in a statement today.
He reiterated that the federal government must invest in Sabah by giving more allocation to spur the much-needed industrial and development revolution.
It is grossly unfair if large chunks of the borrowing are intended merely for the benefit of the peninsula’s economy while Sabah – which has been contributing towards the nation’s gross domestic product through its natural gas and petroleum extraction and the strength of its youth who are now working in Selangor, Johor, and Penang – receives a less-than-satisfactory sum.”
Leiking said most Sabahans may not see that the state’s natural resources, worth billions of ringgit, are being siphoned away from the development of the state itself.
“We are losing thousands of Sabahan youth every year who, due to the scarcity of jobs in the state, are now building the economy of other states in Malaysia.
“So how can we Sabahans take full advantage of the economic opportunities presented post-Covid 19 if no substantial allocation is being given by the federal government for the creation of new markets and investment facilities in the state, in line with Sabah’s potential to become an industrial player in the country?”
Leiking stressed that the federal government must spend more for Sabah by building more medium and light industrial hubs, especially in rural areas, the way it has done in Selangor and Johor.
He said the industrial and development revolution is the key to lifting Sabah out of poverty and providing immediate employment to the hundreds of thousands of locals who are now facing bleak futures due to mismatched employment and reduced savings.
“During the 12th Malaysia Plan debate last month, I also specifically mentioned that we need to seize the opportunity presented through the rising demand for premium halal products by turning Sabah into a halal hub for the country.
“This is in view of the perfect geographical location that we enjoy within the Asian market and the huge land mass for livestock rearing such as goats, buffaloes, and cattle.
“But we need allocations to kick-start this feat, especially in terms of building modern, halal-certified slaughterhouses and for cheaper logistics to ship our products out,” he said.
Leiking also said given the peace achieved in southern Philippines and Indonesia’s plan to relocate its capital city to Kalimantan, Sabah could offer much-needed technological expertise towards becoming a “cloud storage hub”.
The commissioning of ‘Cyberjaya 2.0’ in Labuan would complement the island’s existing status as an offshore financial centre offering international financial and business services, whereby the government can have integrated facilities for Sabah and Sarawak weather forecasting and border and forestry monitoring through satellite imaging and Mers 999 (emergency response services) on the island.”
On another note, Leiking said it is ridiculous for the federal government to allocate a meagre RM50 million for repairs of non-Muslim houses of worship throughout Malaysia, compared with the RM43 million allocated by Warisan Plus in 2019 for the benefit of non-Muslims in the state.
“Religion, irrespective of whether it is Islam, Christianity, Buddhism or Hinduism, is the pillar that holds a family and community structures in the country from collapsing during the pandemic.
“This is because only through faith in their own religion that Malaysians can find solace and comfort, especially during times when political parties jostle for power through many political manoeuvres.
“Hence, while the allocation of RM1.5 billion allocated to Jakim under Budget 2022 is understandable as Muslims make up the majority in the country, such an amount should be equalised with allocation of at least RM1 billion to non-Muslim religious bodies that are now suffering in silence due to drastic drop of donations from their devotees due to lockdowns, movement control orders and SOPs,” he added.
Leiking has been vocal about rights pertaining to the state under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
In 2017, Leiking preached that the federal government owes Sabah possibly up to RM1 trillion for a provision under MA63 that Sabah is entitled to a special entitlement of 40%, which has not been complied with by the federal government. – The Vibes, November 12, 2021
