KUCHING: Allocations under 2020 Budget does not portray the spirit of ‘shared prosperity’ among equal partners between Sarawak, Sabah and Peninsula.
What is clear is the budget is concentrating towards the development of Malaya, said political secretary to the chief minister Soo Li Ching.
Soo said the special grant to Sabah is RM53.4 million while Sarawak received RM32 million.
“I wonder why the different treatment of Sabah and Sarawak?
She added Pakatan Harapan (PH) had spoken of the concept of “shared prosperity” among its equal partners. However, the allocation was not equally divided.
“Obviously, there is no pleasant surprise for Sarawak as the budget focuses more on the
development in Peninsula.
“The oil and gas extracted from Sarawak has contributed immensely to the federal government, but what Sarawak gets is not proportionate,” she said when contacted yesterday.
She noted that in the entire 2020 Budget, the Finance Minister did not raise the issue of giving the 20 percent oil royalty.
“Goes to show, he has neglected Sarawak and is using Sarawak’s resources to assist development in the peninsula.
“The allocation of RM783 million for upgrading purposes of dilapidated schools have to be shared between Sabah and Sarawak.
Soo opined that the allocation was way too low.
“Sarawak itself has estimated that we need about RM1 billion for the upgrading. And so, to share between Sabah and Sarawak for that amount of money, the allocation is way too low,” she said.
