Sabah lauds National 2023 Budget

KOTA KINABALU: The National 2023 Budget tabled on Friday is consistent with the Federal Government’s commitment to ensure no one is left out in the mainstream development, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor.
“I would like to congratulate the Federal Government, especially the Prime Minister and Finance Minister. It is a continuity of the momentum of the nation’s recovery from the pandemic, which is now in the endemic phase and the State Government welcomes such an inclusive budget,” he said.
Commenting after watching the live telecast of the tabling of the National Budget by Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz at Menara Kinabalu today, Hajiji welcomed the RM6.3 billion allocation for Sabah next year.
“It is an increase of 20.45 per cent compared to RM5.2 billion allocated to Sabah in this year’s National Budget. Sabah welcomes the Federal Government”s commitment to continue emphasising on the state’s development,” he said.
The Chief Minister said the State Government welcomed the Federal Government’s commitment to ensure Sabah’s security with upgrades at Esscom Lahad Datu as well as providing additional security assets and construction of a field hospital next year.
The Federal Government also allocated RM1.2 billion to repair dilapidated schools that included 123 projects in Sabah as well as another RM430 million to build five new schools nationwide that also included a school in Sabah namely SMK Nabalu in Kiulu next year.
The Chief Minister also thanked the Federal Government for assuring allocation on the Pan Borneo Highway project in Sabah, which is expected to be completed in 2024.
Also mentioned was the development of the Border Town including the construction of the road connecting Kalabakan to Simanggaris in Indonesia.
Tengku Zafrul also stated that RM250 million would be allocated for developing the Sepanggar Bay Container Port next year.
“Sabah also welcomes the Federal Government’s commitment to helping ease the hardship of the people that can be seen through the Bantuan Keluarga Malaysia (BKM) involving more than RM10 billion next year,” he said.
“I welcome the electricity subsidy of up to RM40 to households in the e-kaseh list,” he said.
Sabah also welcomed the various initiatives in the tourism sector, which hopefully would help increase the sector’s revenue in the state next year, he said.
Also present were Minister of Local Government and Housing Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun, Assistant Ministers in the Chief Minister’s Department Datuk Abidin Madingkir and Datuk Wetrom Bahanda, State Secretary Datuk Seri Panglima Sr Safar Untong and Public Service Department Director General Datuk Rosmadi Sulai and Finance Ministry’s permanent secretary, Datuk Mohd Sofian Alfian Nair.