Channel budget alloca on via Sabah Ministry

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Madius Tangau hopes that the budget allocated for Sabah can be channeled through the state government’s Ministry of Finance.

KOTA KINABALU: Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Madius Tangau hopes that the budget allocated for Sabah can be channeled through the state government’s Ministry of Finance, under the leadership of Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, who is also Sabah Chief Minister.

In a statement here yesterday, the UPKO president pointed out that local leaders would know which areas need urgent attention and which projects need to be given priority.

“We hope the Federal Government would respect the implementation of MA63 and Sabah’s rights and therefore give the State Government the liberty and independence to decide and channel our own budget to our key priorities,” he said.

According to the Trade and Industry Minister, Sabah needs a lot more in terms of infrastructure development to fulfill many of the state’s basic needs.

For example, the cost of constructing roads in far flung interior areas, especially in the mountainous areas, actually cost a lot more than a normal tarred road elsewhere, he pointed out.

“Hence, special consideration and budget allocation should be given to Sabah to ensure that our people have road access to services and even to schools. I hope the Federal Government would consider looking into special budget allocations for Sabah to improve our basic infrastructure.

“Sabah is in urgent need of roads, clean water supply for every household and, most importantly, we need to light up every household in Sabah. As the State Minister for Trade and Industry, I understand the need for sufficient power supply for local households and our industries,” he said. Tangau added that to grow the state’s economy, Sabah needs to develop its industries, which has been lacking all these years, and one of the biggest challenges is the unavailability of sufficient power supply. Sabah needs basic infrastructures such as these to take its people out of poverty and to build the local economy, he stressed. “We understand the challenges faced by the Federal Government to distribute the budget but we hope that Sabah will be given special consideration in the supplementary budget. “I would also like to take this opportunity to urge the federal Ministry of Finance to continue the petrol subsidies for pick-up trucks in Sabah. The budget announced yesterday was more urban and‘ Se men an jung centric’ or centre don Peninsular Malaysia. Sabah needs more allocation to develop the state in order to catch up with the national development.

“If Sabah continues to be the poor sibling of Semenanjung (Peninsular Malaysia), then we won’t be able to contribute positively to national development. Our people need more opportunity, we need to have all basic infrastructure in place because it has been the rights denied or delayed for far too long.

“I also urge the Federal Government to continue with the special allocation for schools building in Sabah. I believe there are many dilapidated schools buildings in Sabah that need urgent attention,” said Tangau.