KUCHING: Sarawak needs more attention and special allocation, especially as the largest state in Malaysia.
The Sarawak Dayak Thinkers’ Association (DTTAS) revealed that based on eKasih data up to Feb 15 this year, Sarawak recorded the highest number of hardcore poor at 62,930 families.
“This means that there is an imbalance in terms of regional development. Any state should not be left behind because the phrase ‘shared prosperity’ that is always mentioned should be enjoyed by all Malaysians including Sabah and Sarawak.
“Therefore, in 2023 Budget, Sarawak needs to be given a bigger allocation to achieve the status of a high-income developed state by 2030,” DTTAS said in a statement yesterday.
DTTAS stated that the Annual Special Grant under Article 112D of the Federal Constitution should use the correct formula to obtain the appropriate amount to be distributed to Sabah and Sarawak.
The allocation of RM16 million previously allocated to Sarawak under Article 112D clearly does not reflect the needs of Sarawak taking into account its geographical area, level of development and its status as a partner in the formation of Malaysia.
According to DTTAS further, as a co-generation partner in the formation of Malaysia, all sharing that is revenue should be divided based on a number of factors including Sarawak’s contribution to the nation’s finances.
“It includes income received by the federal government through the exploitation of the state’s natural resources and revenue received from taxes in Sarawak,” DTTAS explained further.
