THE welfare of those living in rural areas, particularly in Sarawak and Sabah, has been prioritised in Budget 2025, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (pic).
The Deputy Prime Minister said the federal budget was inclusive and addressed the needs of all levels of society.
“It did not sideline those living in rural areas, especially given the disparities affecting Sarawak and Sabah,” he told a press conference shortly after the tabling of the Budget yesterday.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Rural and Regional Development Minister, said the RM457mil increase to bring the total to RM11.9bil means this is the largest allocation for his ministry so far.
He said a substantial portion of this allocation will be directed towards rural development projects rather than operational costs.
“Up to RM2.5bil will be allocated to improve the water and electricity supply as well as infrastructure in rural areas, including RM350mil for rural road development,” he added.
Ahmad Zahid said RM2.5bil will also be set aside for settlers under Felcra, Felda and Risda, which would provide significant relief to these communities.
“With 8.1 million Malaysians living in rural areas, this Budget demonstrates that the Prime Minister cares about their needs and will not neglect them,” he added.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof also expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for the increased allocations for Sabah and Sarawak, which will receive RM6.7bil and RM5.9bil, respectively.
“Infrastructure in Sabah and Sarawak was also given attention to decrease the development gap between these regions and Peninsular Malaysia,” he said.
Fadillah, who also oversees disaster management, said the allocations for flood mitigation projects will hopefully help reduce the risk of floods, especially during the monsoon season.
He commended the Budget for being rakyat-focused, prioritising improvements in living standards.
“The main focus was the rakyat’s welfare, protecting the vulnerable, improving basic facilities, handling corruption and boosting the country’s revenue so we can, at the same time, improve the people’s standard of living,” Fadillah said.
