2025 Budget: Hajiji welcomes continuous priority to Sabah

KOTA KINABALU (Oct 18): Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor welcomed the Madani 2025 Budget that reflected the Unity Government’s progressive measures to provide a prosperous livelihood for the people without compromising the nation’s economic wellbeing.

The Chief Minister said the proposed allocation of RM6.7 billion for Sabah next year was an increase of 0.45 per cent compared to this year’s RM6.67 billion.

“This is sufficient to continue with the development projects during the final year of the 12th Malaysia Plan next year,” he said after watching the live telecast of the National Budget tabled by Prime Minister/Finance Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at Menara Kinabalu on Friday.

Also present were State Finance Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun and State Secretary Datuk Seri Panglima Sr Safar Untong.

Hajiji said the State Government also appreciated that the Prime Minister put on record Sabah’s undisputed right for development as stipulated in the 1963 Malaysia Agreement (MA63).

He noted that the Federal Government’s decision to increase the interim special payment for Sabah from RM300 million to RM600 million next year, was also included in the Budget.

“Sabah hailed the Federal Government’s continuous focus to narrow the regional development gap through the provision of basic amenities like roads, water and electricity supply,” he said.

Hajiji welcomed the announcement that the acceptance letter (SST) for the 17 packages under the Pan Borneo Sabah 1B Phase which included the Kota Belud-Kudat road alignment, Tawau to Kampung Lot M and Telupid to Ranau worth RM9.7 billion had already been issued.

The announcement that the Federal Government had finalised the Sabah Sarawak Link Road phase worth RM7.4 billion, with two packages already awarded and the rest before the end of this year, was good news indeed.

This included the upgrading of the Tawau Airport and the allocations to repair dilapidated schools in the state.

The Chief Minister said the National 2025 Budget clearly showed that Malaysia’s economy is on the uptrend and getting stronger.