Sabah, Federal govt need to be on same page to eradicate poverty — Joniston

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah and federal governments need to be on the same page to eradicate poverty in the state, said Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) information chief Datuk Joniston Bangkuai.

The Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Assistant Minister said Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli’s revelation on the high poverty rate in Sabah shows that the federal government knows what needs to be done for the state and that allocation of sufficient funds is key.

“The state government will strive for the sake of the people, but we need to be on the same page with the federal government on this. By indicating they know what it takes to eradicate poverty in Sabah, I believe it is only right for the federal government to restore the state rights.

“Sabah also had a federal minister in charge of rural development for many years but the problem persisted. Let’s not point fingers as to who is at fault for the perennial poverty problem in Sabah but work together to find a solution to it,” he said in a statement yesterday.

On Thursday, during a question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat, Rafizi said the hardcore poverty rate in Sabah stands at 1.2 per cent in stark contrast to the national rate of 0.2 per cent.

Bangkuai said poverty has been a perennial issue for Sabah and a constant topic used by the opposition to bait for public sentiments and support.

He said the state government under the leadership of Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has come up with a comprehensive masterplan aimed at enhancing the wellbeing of the people.

“In its commitment to the ‘Sabah Maju Jaya’ slogan, the GRS-PH Plus-led state government has consistently pursued efforts to reduce and ultimately eradicate poverty in the state.

“Incidence of poverty in Sabah could have been effectively dealt with if its 40 per cent share of net revenue derived from the state was restored,” he said.