PM: Sabah can achieve robust growth if leakages plugged

KOTA KINABALU (Oct 19): Sabah can enjoy good development if there is no leakage of funds especially in the various forms of aid and development projects, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

He said the move to develop Sabah is not easy, but he believes that with the cooperation of all parties, especially through the strong unity of the people of Sabah from various backgrounds, the government will be able to take the state to a higher level in the future.

“We have to stop the bad practices … there is land to steal, there are logs to rob, there are contracts to grab. If we can stop all these and focus on the love (for) the country, fear of God and holding on to these values ​​and morals, I believe the state will surge before long,” he said while opening the MADANI Rakyat 2024 Sayangi Sabah Programme in Likas here on Saturday.

Also present were Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, Minister of Communications Fahmi Fadzil, Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, Transport Minister Anthony Loke, Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick as well as federal and Sabah ministers.

Anwar said that in the 2025 Budget, the allocation for Sabah is the highest compared to other states to ensure that the people are given proper assistance and that public infrastructure such as the Pan Borneo Highway can be completed as quickly as possible.

“Interior roads will be repaired, schools, health facilities improved. This is what we do as a team, ministers, civil servants will act, weaknesses are fixed. We will wake up sluggish officers. (If) these can be done we will be able to push Sabah forward,” he said.

The Prime Minister said in an effort to develop Sabah, he had suggested to Hajiji that the state government implement the MADANI Adopted Village programme, as has been done by ministers at federal level.

Budget 2025 tabled by Anwar who is also the Minister of Finance in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, sees Sabah and Sarawak’s development allocations continue to be given priority as they are among the highest for the states at RM6.7 billion and RM5.9 billion respectively.