KUCHING: Now is not the time to compare which state gets more allocation for development in the 2021 Budget.
This is in fact the time where we do not make comparison on which state gets more or why that state gets less, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah explained.
“This is the time where we look at it holistically, that whatever is announced for our state, we should feel grateful.
“I know that Sabah is given a little more than us. They are given RM5.1 billion while Sarawak only gets RM4.5 billion for development expenditure.
“For Sabah, in terms of infrastructure, it is not too good and in terms of their reserve, it cannot be compared to Sarawak’s reserve,” he said when met by reporters after attending the Sarawak Arts Council Board of Directors appreciation dinner here at a local hotel on Friday.
The state is grateful for what was given; the important thing is that the state is peaceful, does not face huge problems and is politically stable, the minister noted.
Asked whether would there be any good news to expect from the upcoming State Budget, Karim said, “Money is not really a big problem when it comes to coming up with projects which are for the people’s benefit.”
The upcoming State Budget will be tabled by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg and the state is blessed with the leadership that has been able to lead and organise Sarawak well, he pointed out.
“Although other states are facing economic problems, here we can see that projects on the ground are on the increase.
“In my constituency (Asajaya), it is quite difficult to sort out the contracts because there are too many projects going on. To some extent, I feel that this is done because our financial management is well taken care of.
“We are blessed that our fund and reserves are much bigger if compared to other states, along with the remuneration from the state sales tax (SST) we get from Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas),” he said.
In Sarawak, our society does not feel much burdened by the slowdown of the economy.
