KOTA KINABALU: There will be more good news for Sabah and Sarawak from the prime minister after Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s announcement of RM9 billion in development funds last night, says a Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) leader.
Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) secretary-general Joniston Bangkuai said the announcement made during the Malaysia Day celebration here was an indication that Ismail understood the needs of Sabah and Sarawak.
Bangkuai, who is also GRS information chief, believes there may be more positive announcements soon.
“The announcement does not only reflect that he understands the needs of Sabah and Sarawak, but also that there are better things to come, with regards to the fulfilment of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63),” he said, in a statement here today.
Ismail had said the federal government would set aside RM4.66 billion and RM4.47 billion respectively, for Sabah and Sarawak.
He said the money would be channelled through development funds under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), which will be tabled in Parliament later this month.
Bangkuai said the prime minister had also given an assurance that he would continue focusing on the needs and rights of Sabahans and Sarawakians as well as solving outstanding MA63 issues.
This is through the special council on MA63 (MKMA63), which is chaired by Ismail himself, he added.
The special council, which also sees the involvement of the Sabah and Sarawak chief ministers and eight federal ministers, was set up by the Perikatan Nasional administration to study, scrutinise and find solutions to the demands and rights of Sabah and Sarawak, as stipulated under MA63.
“Issues concerning MA63 are nothing new. In fact, it has been PBS’ core struggle since its formation 36 years ago. Even the prime minister acknowledges that this issue is often raised, come Malaysia Day.
“But his assurance that all outstanding issues will be scrutinised, discussed and resolved shows his sincerity,” said Bangkuai.
He added that leaders from both states wanted assurance over actions to amend Article 1 (2) and Article 160 (2) of the Federal Constitution, which deal with the definition of the federation and to review the special grants for both states.
“We also concur with Sabah chief minister Hajiji Noor on the importance of ensuring the remaining MA63 issues are seriously discussed,” he said.
On the development funds, Bangkuai said Ismail is aware of the infrastructure needs in both Sabah and Sarawak, especially in rural areas.
“We appreciate the development funds but also hope for more since Sabah has been categorised as one of the poorest states in Malaysia, despite being known for its rich resources.
“We hope to narrow the development gap between these two regions and the peninsula,” he said. - FMT
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