Sabah and Sarawak accorded attention as per MA63

18 October 2024

KOTA KINABALU: The MADANI government fulfills the agreements made by previous leaders regarding the Malaysia Agreement 1963, Prime Minister Datuk Anwar Ibrahim said when tabling the National Budget 2025 today.

“Therefore, it should not be questioned that Sabah and Sarawak are given special attention,” he stated adding that the development gap between states needs to be narrowed, particularly concerning basic infrastructure such as roads, electricity, and clean water.

As such, development allocations for Sabah and Sarawak continue to be prioritised and are the highest among the states, amounting to RM6.7 billion and RM5.9 billion, respectively, he said.

“The Special Grant for Sarawak has not been reviewed since 1969. Under MADANI, this year we have increased the amount to RM300 million compared to RM16 million (for Sarawak) and RM125.6 million (for Sabah).”

Starting in 2025, the government plans to double the Special Grants for Sarawak and Sabah to RM600 million. A total of 17 work packages for the Pan Borneo Sabah Phase 1B have been released with a contract value of RM9.7 billion.

“This includes the route from Kota Belud to Kudat; Tawau to Kampung Lot M, and Telupid to Ranau. Meanwhile, the Pan Borneo Sarawak project is expected to be completed by November 2024. Overall, the Pan Borneo projects in Sarawak and Sabah have incurred expenses of 25.1 billion ringgit.”

“The government has finalised four work packages for the Sabah Sarawak Link-Road (SSLR) Phase 2, valued at RM7.4 billion. Two packages have already been awarded, while the remaining packages are expected to be awarded before the end of the year.”

“The government has also agreed to implement the expansion projects for Tawau Airport in Sabah and Miri Airport in Sarawak for RM253 million. The Federal Government and Sarawak are collaborating to develop the Sarawak Cancer Centre, estimated to cost RM1 billion.”

He commended Sarawak's willingness to prioritise funding for the construction of these projects.