SABAH POLLS: FEDERAL GOVT TO EXPLAIN KEY ISSUES AND INITIATIVES – ANWAR

From M. Saraswathi

JOHANNESBURG, Nov 21 (Bernama) — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the 17th Sabah State Election offers the federal government a chance to highlight key issues and its past, ongoing and future initiatives in the state.

The Prime Minister said the election is also a platform for the people of Sabah to make an informed assessment of the various initiatives undertaken by the MADANI Government in the state.

“It has been three years (since the MADANI Government came into power). For Sabah, I have done my best. On electricity, when (the Sabah government) requested that we hand back (regulatory control of electricity supply), we complied. Whenever funds were insufficient, we provided them, and we carried out other efforts beyond the federal government’s scope.

“This includes the water supply problem at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS). For the water issue at UMS, I provided RM3 million,” he told Malaysian journalists on board a flight from Ethiopia to South Africa on Thursday.

In 2023, the federal government approved RM3 million for UMS to help resolve the university’s water supply problem.

The Prime Minister, when presenting the Budget 2024 on Oct 13, 2023, also said the federal government and the Sabah government had reached an agreement on the transfer of electricity supply regulatory powers, effective Jan 3, 2024.

Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said he had reviewed the Sabah Pan-Borneo project and emphasised that its implementation is expected to become more efficient under an open and transparent tender approach.

“I told Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor (Sabah Chief Minister) that only companies capable of executing the project should be awarded the contract. We have already lost two to three years. The Sarawak section (of Pan-Borneo) is nearly complete,” he said.

Asked about Sabah-based parties playing on local sentiments, Anwar said the parties in the state were deviating from the key issues, namely the plundering of national resources, whether from Peninsular Malaysia or Sabah, and governance matters.

“For me, it’s not about Sabah or the Peninsula. It’s not about Peninsular or Sabah-based parties. Parties must serve the people.

“I have no problem, but when (local parties) do not cooperate with the federal government and leadership commitment is lacking, the people will suffer,” he said.

Polling has been set for Nov 29 and early voting on Nov 25.

For the latest news on the 17th Sabah State Election, visit https://prn.bernama.com/sabah/index.php

— BERNAMA