Kuala Lumpur: Sandakan Member of Parliament Vivian Wong said the State Government must ensure that allocated funds are spent strategically.
“When the 2025 Budget was tabled, Sabah received the largest development allocation in history, amounting to RM6.7 billion, including a special grant of RM300 million. However, the question is the effectiveness of this allocation.
“How much of this RM6.7 billion will actually be utilised for the development needed? I am still concerned about the low spending rate, where only half of Sabah’s development budget is used, and the rest is returned to Putrajaya,” she said.
Vivian also questioned the transparency and prioritisation of projects in Sabah, such as improving hospital facilities and essential infrastructure, rather than for projects that do not directly impact the wellbeing of the people.
“For example, we should spend the allocation for hospital medical equipment instead of installing a facial recognition system in all hospitals in Sabah for hospital staff to check in and instead of spending to plant flowers at road dividers, the funds should be used to fix every non-functioning streetlight,” she said.
Vivian said this during the debate on Agong’s Royal Address.
Meanwhile, to overcome the bureaucracy that hinders the implementation of projects, Vivian urged the Government to give Sabah more power in making spending decisions.
“With more autonomy, we can ensure that critical projects are expedited and that every ringgit allocated truly benefits the people of Sabah. “I also propose that an inter-ministerial audit team be established to ensure that every expenditure is closely monitored,” she said.
Vivian also urged the Human Resources Ministry to conduct an impact study to assess whether salary increases cause job retrenchment, increased cost of living, or the closure of small businesses.
“On Feb 1, 2025, the new minimum wage of RM1,700 came into effect. It is expected to increase purchasing power and stimulate the domestic market. “However, will this increase have a negative impact on small and medium enterprises (SMEs), especially in rural areas?” Vivian asked.
