Anwar: No constituencies sidelined in development allocations

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 27 — The Malaysian government has maintained its position on allocating more funds for the development of Sabah and Sarawak, citing their geographical constraints and infrastructure requirements. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim emphasized that these needs should not solely be viewed through the lens of individual states.

"We should not look at this from the perspective of just one state when it comes to addressing the needs of Sabah and Sarawak," he stated during a session of the Minister's Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat today. Ronald Kiandee (PN-Beluran) questioned the reduction or withholding of allocations for certain projects in Sabah and Sarawak under the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW), despite both states being entitled to larger allocations under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

Anwar clarified that the development allocations announced in the Budget 2027 did not include expenditures for KKDW projects. He highlighted that the government acknowledged that the funds would not be enough to address every issue, but stressed the importance of good governance to prevent leakages. Anwar further mentioned that the procurement processes and contract awards should be closely monitored to ensure compliance with regulations and to consider the project's implementation capacity.