Restoring Sabah’s rights can help fight hardcore poverty, says GRS man

 

GRS information chief Joniston Bangkuai said the Sabah and federal governments ‘must be on the same page’.

PETALING JAYA: Sabah will be better equipped to tackle its hardcore poverty rate if the state’s claim to 40% of its net revenue is granted, says a Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) leader.

GRS information chief Joniston Bangkuai said there was no use “pointing fingers” and blaming any party, adding that it was more important that Kota Kinabalu and Putrajaya work together to find a solution to the long-standing issue.

“The state government will strive for the sake of the people, but we need to be on the same page with the federal government,” he said in a Bernama report.

“By indicating that they know what it takes to eradicate hardcore poverty in Sabah, I believe it is only right for Putrajaya to restore the state’s rights.

“Hardcore poverty in Sabah can be effectively addressed if 40% of the net revenue obtained from the state is returned,” added the Kiulu assemblyman.

In January, Sabah finance minister Masidi Manjun insisted that the state had submitted a letter of claim for 40% of its net revenue to the federal government, disputing a statement by entrepreneur development and cooperatives minister Ewon Benedick that no letter had been received.

Yesterday, economy minister Rafizi Ramli told the Dewan Rakyat that Sabah’s hardcore poverty rate of 1.2% is six times higher than the national poverty rate of 0.2%.

He said the disparity was significant considering that the national hardcore poverty rate had decreased from 1% in 2020 to 0.2% in 2022.

Rafizi said the government is creating job opportunities through integrated farming, for example, through the people’s income initiative, to help address the issue in Sabah.

He said the Sabah government is providing land for cultivation, with 390 hardcore poor families growing a variety of crops on 204ha across eight districts. - FMT