PARLIAMENT | Wilfred Madius Tangau (Upko-Tuaran) has filed a motion to slash the International Trade and Industry Ministry's (Miti) budget for the Apec 2020 conference.
According to the Federal Expenditure Estimate 2021, the ministry sought RM25 million for the conference, which took place online last month (November).
This year, governments of 21 nations, including powerhouses such as the United States, China, and Russia, participated in the conference which Malaysia last hosted in 1998.
Budget 2020 had already allocated RM300 million to host Apec 2020.
For next year's budget, RM2.5 million was for salaries while RM22.5 million was allocated for services and supplies.
In his motion, Madius proposed that the RM25 million allocation be slashed to RM5 million.
The savings of RM20 million then ought to be used to develop the Sabah Technology Park project which is being handled by Miti.
In his letter to the Dewan Rakyat secretary, Madius said he wished to raise the motion during the ongoing committee stage debate on the Supply (Budget) Bill 2021.
The debate on Miti's budget is scheduled for tomorrow with its minister Azmin Ali expected to deliver his winding-up speech.
In a statement, Madius said RM20 million to develop the technology park project would be a big boost for the state in terms of drawing investors.
"Efforts to draw investors in industries is very critical, in view that the contribution of industries to Sabah's GDP is very low, only 7.2 percent," he said.
Madius was formerly a deputy chief minister of Sabah, a former state minister of trade and industry of Sabah, and a former federal minister of science, technology, and innovation. - Mkini
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