KUCHING – The federal government has allocated RM12.1 billion under Budget 2023 for Sabah and Sarawak, with the former getting the bigger share of RM6.5 billion.
An allocation of RM5.6 billion will be set aside for Sarawak, said Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said the total allocation of RM12.1 billion included rural development plans for areas bordering Kalimantan, Indonesia such as Kalabakan in Sabah and Ba Kelalan in Sarawak.
“Such plans at a total cost of RM1 billion serve as measures to connect with the new Indonesian capital in Kalimantan,” he said when tabling the Budget 2023 in Dewan Rakyat today.
Apart from this, Anwar said more than RM2.5 billion was set aside for the implementation of various public infrastructure projects for the benefit of Sabah and Sarawak.
“We want to make sure these projects can be completed in the shortest possible time.”
He added that these projects would comprise the construction of roads equipped with street lighting, as well as the supply of water and electricity.
“The government is committed to continue implementing the Sabah and Sarawak Pan Borneo Highway and Sarawak-Sabah Link Road spanning over 1,000km, at an estimated total cost of RM20 billion.”
The allocation for Sabah and Sarawak is an increase of RM400 million from the RM11.7 billion under Budget 2023, which was tabled by the previous government in October last year, prior to the dissolution of the Dewan Rakyat to pave the way for the 15th general election.
Then finance minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz had announced an allocation of RM6.3 billion for Sabah and RM5.4 billion for Sarawak. – Borneo Post Online, February 24, 2023
