MADANI GOVT COMMITS TO DEVELOPING SABAH WITH RM17.5 BILLION FUNDING

KOTA KINABALU, Nov 13 (Bernama) -- The MADANI government remains committed to ensuring progress in Sabah is further strengthened by allocating RM17.5 billion for 2026 for the well-being of the people in the state.

The Ministry of Finance (MOF) said that major infrastructure projects, like the RM13.9 billion Sabah Pan Borneo Highway, will be resumed, alongside improvements to basic facilities, including the Sabah Heart Centre at Queen Elizabeth II Hospital.

"The MADANI Government is also strengthening basic supplies with an allocation of RM1.2 billion to ensure uninterrupted electricity and RM765 million for the Southern Link Transmission Line Project,” the ministry posted on Facebook today.

The MOF said that the expenditure covers state grants, operating expenses of federal agencies, fuel subsidies and development spending, which have seen a significant increase from 2022 to next year.

In addition, the allocation for next year covers the 3,190-kilometre-long MADANI Submarine Cable Connection project costing RM2 billion, involving a submarine route to Tuaran, Kudat, Pulau Banggi, Sandakan and Tawau.

Regarding the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), the MOF said that nine of the 13 claims under MA63 had been resolved under the administration of the MADANI Government.

Among them are recognising the Sabah Public Works Department, Department of Irrigation and Drainage, and the Sabah Water Department as Technical Departments under Treasury Instruction 182, in addition to delegating the authority to approve Federal projects worth up to RM50 million to these technical departments in Sabah.

The MADANI government has also amended the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia Act 1995 (Act 533) to appoint representatives from the Sabah and Sarawak governments as permanent members of the Inland Revenue Board (IRB).

-- BERNAMA