Kuala Lumpur: The Federal Government is urged to convert the RM320 million loan to the Sabah Government to resolve the water issue into a full grant.
Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star) Sabah Secretary-General Senator Datuk Edward Linggu Bukut said the Federal Government should provide a full grant to Sabah to address the water issue, rather than a loan that would ultimately burden the people.
“When the Federal Government announced the allocation of RM320 million to resolve the water issue in Sabah, it was supposed to be good news.
“However, the reality is that this funding is not a full grant, but an easy loan that the State Government needs to repay. This raises the question of why Sabah has to borrow?” said Linggu.
The former Tamparuli Assemblyman said this while debating the Royal Address in the Dewan Negara.
According to Linggu, some of the critically affected areas in Sabah due to the water issue include Kota Belud, Sandakan and Tawau, where water disruptions have impacted the daily lives of the people and economic growth.
Linggu said his party recognised that water supply is the responsibility of the Sabah Government as stipulated in Schedule 9 of the Federal Constitution.
“However, I believe that Sabah has contributed a large sum of financial resources to the Federal Government as a consideration for receiving a full grant,” he said.
Linggu cited examples of Selangor and Penang, which have received full grants to resolve their water issues.
He questioned why Sabah is treated differently.
He also pointed out that the National Water Services Commission (SPAN) reported that nearly 58 per cent of areas in Sabah are experiencing water supply disruptions, a figure that is extremely concerning.
