PETALING JAYA: With the annual federal budget set to be tabled next week, civil society groups in Sabah and Sarawak are once again crying out for Putrajaya to allocate critical development funds for East Malaysia.
Anne Lasimbang says the call, made repeatedly over many years, highlights the desperate lack of infrastructure in the two Bornean states.
Lasimbang, executive director of Pacos Trust, an NGO dedicated to supporting indigenous communities in Sabah, said many rural areas in East Malaysia require improved infrastructure to access essential services such as banking, education and health, and to promote local development.
She said there is a dire need for the installation of off-grid systems to supply power to villagers in remote parts of Sabah and Sarawak which do not have access to electricity supply
Having access to such a basic facility will mean a lot to these residents, Lasimbang told FMT.
Remote areas without access to the main electricity grid have to rely on independent systems to supply power. These run either on generators, solar panels or micro-hydro power systems.
Separate allocation for development
Sabah Action Body Advocating Rights (Sabar) said the budget should provide for a development allocation for Sabah over and above the annual capitation grants and oil and gas royalties due to the state.
Sabar chairman Zainie Abdul Aucasa said the allocation should be specifically earmarked for the provision of utilities and infrastructure, such as roads.
Zainie also said the government should encourage foreign direct investment into Sabah by providing tax incentives for foreign companies to set up shop in the state.
This would generate better job opportunities for the people, who often have to move to West Malaysia for employment. It will also narrow the industrial development gap between Sabah and the peninsula, he said.
Lasimbang also urged Putrajaya to introduce initiatives that would support the livelihoods of rural communities, to prevent the need for youths to migrate to big cities for employment.
NCR land task force
Lawyer Kamek for Change director Simon Siah called for the formation of a task force to tackle issues pertaining to native customary rights land in Sarawak.
Siah said many natives do not have security of tenure to the land their homes are built on, and live in constant fear of being evicted.
He said federal funds should be allocated to establish a dedicated task force that is empowered to resolve NCR land ownership issues.
The 2025 federal budget will be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat on Oct 18 by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is also the finance minister.
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