Provide detailed breakdown of development allocations channelled to Sabah, urges Bung Moktar

KOTA KINABALU: The government has been urged to provide a detailed breakdown of the development allocation given to Sabah tabled under the federal budget each year in the Dewan Rakyat.

Kinabatangan MP Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin said this was important so that the people are aware of the actual sum channelled to the state and if it tallied with the projects that have been implemented.

“For instance, in the Budget 2025 recently tabled by the Prime Minister, Sabah received an allocation of RM6.7bil but the question is, has this amount been fully disbursed and spent for development purposes in the state,” said the former deputy chief minister, in a statement on Thursday (Nov 14).

Bung Moktar said he had asked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also Finance Minister, in Parliament to shed light on how much of the development allocations given to Sabah in 2021, 2022 and 2023 totalling RM5.1bil, RM5.2bil and RM6.5bil respectively, that have been utilised.

In her reply, he said, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa told the august House the allocation given to Sabah under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) was RM4,517,526,970 in the First Rolling Plan (RP1) for 2021 and RM3,313,549,108 utilised.

As for RP2/2022, RM5,711,946,622 was allocated, with RM4,458,815,991 spent while RM6,502,666,400 was provided, and RM4,931,055,664 utilised under the RP3/2023.

Bung Moktar said there were clear gaps between the amounts allocated and what had been utilised, which warranted an explanation.

He said the parties involved in project implementation in Sabah whether at the state and federal levels must provide detailed information on the projects implemented according to the allocations given for the public’s knowledge.

“It can’t be denied that some projects cannot be fully implemented due to various factors such as technical issues. This means the allocated funds could not be fully utilised and were returned to the government.

“This is a loss to the people of Sabah and hampers efforts to develop the state,” he said.