{
  "id": 12845930,
  "title": "Mustapha seeks higher Sabah, Sarawak development funds",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/mustapha-seeks-higher-sabah-sarawak-development-funds",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-08T10:11:31.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/news/regional/2026/10/1550675/mustapha-seeks-higher-sabah-sarawak-development-funds"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "KOTA KINABALU — Sabah and Sarawak Affairs Minister Datuk Mustapha Sakmud is optimistic that the 2027 Budget will retain or modestly boost development funds for Sabah and Sarawak. The minister emphasized that Sabah continues to require significant financial support for essential infrastructure, particularly to address recurring floods, road maintenance, and water infrastructure issues. Mustapha expressed his hope that the upcoming budget announcement would bring positive news for both Sabah and Sarawak. During a media briefing after distributing disaster relief aid to constituents in Kampung Rampayan, he reiterated the need for development funds to either remain stable or increase slightly in the upcoming budget. He also urged the Auditor-General's recommendations regarding the Sabah Pan Borneo Highway project to be promptly implemented to enhance project management. Mustapha directed the Works Ministry, contractors, and relevant agencies to intensify their efforts in improving project management effectiveness. He stressed the importance of learning from the audit findings to prevent similar issues in future projects. The long-standing Sabah Pan Borneo Highway project, which has only achieved 11% completion, is a critical focus area for the minister. He also called for the prioritization of Phase 2 of the Kampung Rampayan flood mitigation project, which was announced in Budget 2026. The project aims to build upon the nearly completed Phase 1 and tackle the ongoing flood problems along the Rampayan River.",
  "summary": "KOTA KINABALU: Sabah and Sarawak Affairs Minister Datuk Mustapha Sakmud hopes the 2027 Budget will maintain or slightly increase development allocations for Sabah and Sarawak.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}