Why are Sabah, Sarawak ungrateful despite huge allocations, asks Ngeh

Bruas MP Ngeh Koo Ham says the allocation given to Sabah and Sarawak for development is proof that the PH ruling coalition is good. (Bernama pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: A DAP MP from Perak today said he was disappointed that the opposition in Sabah and Sarawak is still dissatisfied with the sum allocated for the two states under the 2020 Budget.

Putrajaya had announced that Sabah and Sarawak would receive RM5.2 billion and RM4.4 billion respectively in development expenditure next year.

This sum totals 17% of the total development expenditure of RM56 billion.

Ngeh Koo Ham (PH-Beruas) said the allocation given to the two states for development was proof the ruling coalition was good.

“If Perak was given any of these two amounts, the people of Perak and I would be grateful.

“It looks like the opposition parties in Sabah and Sarawak are ungrateful even though the amount is huge,” Ngeh told the Dewan Rakyat when debating the 2020 Budget.

This led to Ahmad Maslan (BN-Pontian) telling Ngeh that the reason why the opposition in East Malaysia was unhappy because the 20% in oil royalties promised to these two states had not been paid yet.

The sum allocated to Sabah and Sarawak had drawn flak earlier, with Sarawak Local Government and Housing Minister Dr Sim Kui Hian describing it as insufficient for what the states need.

Sim, who is also the Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) president, said that Putrajaya had earned RM660 billion from “our oil and gas, since the development of Petronas in 1974”.

The opposition in Sabah meanwhile said the allocation was disappointing, with Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) and Sabah Umno agreeing that Putrajaya should make good on its 20% oil royalty pledge and also return the 40% net revenue from the states owed by the federal government. - FMT