2022 Budget: Sabah should receive RM7 billion, not RM5.2 billion

21 Nov 2021

By Nur Syafiqah Abdullah

SANDAKAN: DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng said Sabah should be receiving RM7 billion if it were to be given the same 9.3 per cent in development expenditure in the 2022 Budget that Pakatan Harapan (PH) had provided in the 2022 Budget.

He said the total development expenditure in the 2022 Budget was increased to RM75.6 billion as compared to RM56 billion in PH’s 2020 Budget but the state still received the same amount of RM5.2 billion as provided for in 2020.

This shows that even though Perikatan Nasional and Barisan Nasional won Sabah in the state general elections last year, Sabah was treated worse off as compared to PH.

“This unfairness also extends to allocations of a mere RM345 million to non-bumis, which is a mere 0.14 per cent of the total 2022 Budget.

“DAP does not object to the RM 11.4 billion provided to the bumi community but non-bumis should be given more that is commensurate with their 30 per cent population in the country,” he said during his opening speech at DAP Sabah State Ordinary Convention, here, today.

According to Guan Eng, the new ruling of Prime Minister Ismail Sabri in imposing bumi quotas in new business sectors such as rental of shopping complexes will also make the non-bumis feel marginalized again.

The fear is that there will be many empty lots in shopping complexes just like the many empty shop lots or houses that could not be sold to bumis, he added.

In this matter, he asserted the government to step in and purchase empty lots or rent the shopping lots instead of leaving them vacant.

“This fear of being marginalised is real when alcohol sales are banned in sundry shops or Chinese medicine halls in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur even though they are sold to non-Muslim.

“To implement bans on business practices or customary lifestyles of non-Muslims that has been going on undisturbed since 1957, it is unacceptable when Muslims are not involved or affected at all.

“For this reason, Sabah must protect and preserve their unique harmony and heritage. DAP will stand together with all parties opposing any attempt to interfere with the basic constitutional right of freedom of religion in the country,” said the MP for Bagan.

Guan Eng also mentioned that this is the reason why the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between PH leaders and the Ismail Sabri contained a basic condition that the government must agree to amend the Federal Constitution to uphold the status of Sabah in accordance with the 1963 Malaysia Agreement.

“This MOU requiring a constitutional amendment will be the first step forward to restore the rights and status of Sabah.”