KUCHING: The Ministry of Utility and Telecommunication (MUT) will continue its obligations towards providing full coverage for reliable, sustainable and affordable utilities and telecommunication services, especially in the rural areas of Sarawak.
Minister Datuk Seri Julaihi Narawi said this after Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg tabled the second reading of the Sarawak Budget 2025 at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting on Monday (Nov 11).
“My ministry wishes to thank the Premier for allocating RM1.72 billion for development of water, electricity and telecommunication services.
“While, the development expenditure of RM1.23 billion is for water and electricity and RM0.49 billion for telecommunication services,” he said in a statement.
On a related note, he said the budget is a people-oriented budget that underlines the Sarawak government’s commitment to the welfare of the people.
“This budget also reflects Sarawak’s unwavering focus to accelerate economic growth, stimulate private investment, create employment opportunities, and build a more competitive and resilient economy, ensuring that the economic gains are widely shared across Sarawak,” he said.
He added that Sarawak’s 2025 projected revenue of RM14.2 billion is yet another largest in the history of Sarawak’s budget against RM13.3 billion in 2024.
“With Sarawak’s 2025 expected to generate a surplus of RM 486 million, it shows the financial strength of Sarawak on its recovery growth path under Post Covid-19 Development (PCDS) 2030,” he said.
He also said the operating and development expenditure of RM15.8 billion is the biggest allocation in the history of Sarawak’s budget compared to RM13.6 billion in 2024.
“The 2025 development expenditure of RM10.9 billion indicated the strong focus in the development of Sarawak aimed for an equitable income distribution as we achieve a sustainable high income economy,” he said.
Julaihi said Sarawak has allocated a huge funding, which complements the recent federal budget amount of RM5.9 billlion for Sarawak.
