KOTA KINABALU: There should be more funding and an increased commitment to developing Sabah, says Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali (pic).
The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Functions) said as a leader from Sabah, he hoped the government would increase the allocation for the state and bring more development there.
With the re-tabling of Budget 2023 this Friday, he said these were some things that the Federal Government should commit to for the benefit of Sabahans.
Armizan said after Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim took office as Prime Minister, a lot of changes and rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) were given back to the state.
“We see his commitment and in the aspects of MA63, it has started rolling,” he told a press conference after an award and medal presentation programme with state Civil Defence Force officials here yesterday.
He said these matters under MA63 had been long-awaited, including the devolution of central authority and empowerment of state agencies.
Citing an example, he said Anwar had announced that all government projects in Sabah and Sarawak below the budget of RM50mil would now be decided by the state governments themselves.
“The Prime Minister also said that if these projects can be carried out smoothly, he would not hesitate to increase the amount of self-handled projects for both states,” said Armizan.
