KUCHING, Oct 15 — The Budget 2024 allocation of RM5.8 billion to Sarawak and RM6.6 billion to Sabah for development expenditure is yet another letdown, says independent Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How.

He said the allocation was a mere RM200 million increase for Sarawak and RM100 million for Sabah, compared to Budget 2023.

"It simply means that Sarawak and Sabah will get only 6.4 per cent and 7.3 per cent of the national development expenditure allocation, respectively, while Peninsular Malaysia will enjoy 86.3 per cent of the allocation,” he said in a statement yesterday.

He was commenting on the announcements made by Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim when tabling Budget 2024 in the Dewan Rakyat on Friday.

See pointed out the disparity in the budgetary allocation for the three territories will only mean that the gulf of disproportionality in development of infrastructural facilities and basic amenities between East and West Malaysia will grow wider, rather than narrowed down.

He also expressed dissatisfaction that the federal government is only allocating RM300 million to Sarawak as Special Grant under Article 112D of the Federal Constitution, and that the formula to review in accordance with the needs of Sarawak and Sabah with provisions for expansion is still a work in progress.

"In 2023, the special grant and reimbursements was RM265 million. A mere increase of RM35 million for the year ahead is not going to contribute much to the needs of Sarawak and Sarawakians in their collective aspiration and vision for the sustainable development goals under the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030,” he said.

He said to achieve greater unity of Malaysians, and to be serious in the implementation of the Malaysia Agreement 1963, the federal government must address two pertinent matters in its annual budget.

The first, according to him, is a just fiscal arrangement for devolution of administrative and executive powers and authorities to Sarawak and Sabah.

The second is a more fair and just development funding expenditure between Sarawak, Sabah and the peninsula, with significant special allocation given to the Borneo regions to accelerate their pace to catch up in the provision of better infrastructural facilities and basic amenities.

"Budget 2024 still fails to outline and to give details on the fiscal arrangements that may have been worked out by the federal government and its allocations for operation and development expenditure for those subject matters, of which the administrative and executive powers and authorities are devolved or to be devolved to Sarawak and Sabah.

"It reflects the lack of political will in Putrajaya to perform and fulfil the promises, assurances, undertakings and recommendations made in the whole of the Inter-Governmental Committee Report and the provisions of the Federal Constitution, as expressed in the Malaysia Agreement 1963,” he said. — Borneo Post