Sabah backs federal initiatives to ease cost of living

KOTA KINABALU (March 16): Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor has welcomed the federal government’s decision to bring forward the disbursement of the Rahmah Cash Contribution (STR) ahead of the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations.

He said the move reflects the government’s continued concern for the welfare of the people.

Hajiji also praised other initiatives introduced to assist the rakyat, including the RM400 special aid under the FlySiswa programme for students of public higher learning institutions travelling on domestic flights between Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak.

He said the initiative would greatly benefit undergraduates returning home for the Hari Raya holidays.

“The Sabah government is also providing additional assistance of RM600 to Sabah students studying in Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak as a subsidy for their flight tickets to return home,” he said.

“For students studying within Sabah, they will receive RM300 each to assist with travel expenses to celebrate Aidilfitri with their families,” he added.

Hajiji said this when speaking at the Madani 2026 breaking-of-fast event with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at Universiti Malaysia Sabah here yesterday.

He said the various incentives provided by both the federal and state governments reflect their commitment to helping the people.

At the same time, Hajiji reaffirmed Sabah’s support for Anwar’s leadership in driving national development and economic progress.

According to him, Malaysia recorded its highest investment in history last year amounting to RM426.7 billion, an 11 per cent increase compared with 2024, involving more than 8,000 investment projects and creating 244,902 job opportunities.

He added that the strengthening of the ringgit also reflected growing confidence in the country’s economic direction under the Madani government.

Earlier, Hajiji and Anwar visited the Ramadan bazaar at the Universiti Apartment (UA) area in Sepanggar and met members of the public.