KK MP wishing for more fund to address stateless kids issue

KOTA KINABALU (Sept 15): Kota Kinabalu Member of Parliament Datuk Chan Foong Hin is wishing for more budget to address the issue of stateless children in the city area.

“In fact, not only for Kota Kinabalu but other districts in the state. This is a long unresolved issue. There’s a shelter in the state capital to provide shelter and training for the stateless children. But it is only for three months which I think is quite short a duration.

“This is the State Government’s initiative and it forked out its budget to do this. We need funding so that the shelter could be enlarged and accommodate these stateless children.

“I think the consensus among the people in the city is that we don’t want to have the eyesore and they will also need to have some sense of security. We see these children begging on the streets but without questioning their human rights, we need to accommodate them nicely,” he said.

So funding is important, Chan said, adding that he also wants to see the facilities in the Kota Kinabalu International Airport upgraded.

Chan stated this when asked for his wish list in the Federal Budget 2025 which would be tabled next month, after opening the “Chinese Culture Grand Park” which is a Chinese cultural school holiday program organised by the Malaysia-China Friendship Association in Sabah and the Tianjin Overseas Friendship Association, on Sunday.

The Deputy Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister is also hopeful that the 40 per cent revenue issue will be resolved amicably.

He said that Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor had said that while the state welcomed the RM300 million increment of the interim special grant for next year, the government would continue to pursue its demand for the repayment of the 40 per cent revenue owed.

Chan opined that the federal government will have to consider several matters about the issue.

“They might say that the coffers are not enough now. So there are some other considerations. But again, the acceptance of this interim payment doesn’t mean that the demand for the 40 per cent stops here.

“But one step at a time. I believe with the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Sabah Chief Minister and Sarawak Premier, eventually there will be a solution that could be achieved amicably,” he said.