Sabah gets RM18.7bil, but how much is new, asks MP

 Libaran MP Suhaimi Nasir says more goods enter Sabah than leave, and questions whether lower shipping costs have benefited the state.

Libaran MP Suhaimi Nasir said Sabahans would judge the budget by whether they had running water, reliable electricity, functioning schools, nearby healthcare facilities and jobs.

KUALA LUMPUR:

The government has been asked to explain how much of the RM18.7 billion allocated to Sabah under the 2027 budget is new spending, rather than money already committed to existing projects.

While Suhaimi Nasir (BN-Libaran) welcomed the allocation, which is RM1.1 billion more than this year, he said the government must explain how it would be spent.

“Out of that total, how much of it is the actual amount of brand-new allocations for 2027, once operating expenditure, ongoing extension projects and existing financial commitments are deducted?” he asked during the budget debate in the Dewan Rakyat.

He also wanted to know whether the amount included Sabah’s interim special grant and funding under the 13th Malaysia Plan.

Suhaimi called for better facilities and equipment, and more specialists at Sandakan’s Duchess of Kent Hospital so patients would not have to travel far for treatment.

He proposed expanding rehabilitation and dialysis services, saying this would be cheaper than building a new hospital. He also asked how many doctors were actually treating patients in Sabah, excluding those on study leave.

On education, he said a growing population and rising student numbers had left schools in Libaran overcrowded, affecting learning and contributing to social problems.

He called for more classrooms, toilets and better facilities, alongside stronger action against bullying and better protection for victims.

Suhaimi also wanted the government to identify villages still facing water, electricity and internet problems, and to give clear dates for improvements.

He also called for a development plan for Sabah’s east coast, with Sandakan becoming a centre for processing and exporting local products.

He urged the government to review whether the cabotage exemption introduced in 2017 had reduced shipping costs to Sabah, citing high port charges and an imbalance in cargo movement.

He said Sabah bought RM31.5 billion worth of goods from the peninsula last year, but sold only RM18.1 billion in return, leaving ships with less cargo to carry on their return trips.

Suhaimi said Sabahans would judge the budget by whether they had running water, reliable electricity, functioning schools, nearby healthcare facilities and jobs. - FMT