KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 27 — The Federal Government’s decision to provide larger development allocations to Sabah and Sarawak reflects the two states’ geographical challenges and pressing infrastructure needs, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.

He said development priorities in both states must be assessed based on their specific circumstances, including poor road conditions in parts of Sabah despite its relatively smaller population compared with other states.

Anwar said the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) should be regarded as a national commitment that requires collective responsibility in safeguarding the interests of all Malaysians.

“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 said during Ministers’ Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday.

He was responding to a supplementary question from Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee (PN-Beluran), who sought clarification on reports of reduced or withheld allocations for certain projects in Sabah and Sarawak under the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW).

Ronald also questioned whether political differences had influenced the allocation decisions.

Anwar clarified that the development allocations for Sabah and Sarawak announced under Budget 2027 did not include expenditure for the KKDW projects raised by the MP.

He said the projects announced by the government had been approved based on the latest assessments.

The Prime Minister acknowledged that government allocations would not be sufficient to meet every development need, but stressed that effective governance was essential to ensure public funds were used appropriately.

He said procurement procedures and contract awards must be closely scrutinised to prevent leakages, ensure compliance with regulations and assess contractors’ capacity to deliver projects.

The government’s approach, he added, was intended to ensure that development spending was directed towards approved priorities and implemented effectively.

Source Bernama