SABAH BUDGET 2026 TO BE TABLED ON DEC 12 - MASIDI

KOTA KINABALU, Dec 3 (Bernama) -- The newly formed Sabah state government, following the 17th state election, is expected to table Sabah’s Budget 2026 on Dec 12.

Deputy Chief Minister II and Sabah Finance Minister, Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun, said he has 10 days remaining to finalise the Budget details before its presentation, marking his first major duty since assuming the portfolio.

He said that the diligence and early preparations undertaken by officers in the Sabah Ministry of Finance, before the dissolution of the state legislative assembly, had eased the drafting process despite the limited time for refinements.

“We are prepared to present the state's Budget 2026 on Dec 12. The focus this year is on sustaining the momentum of infrastructure development and public welfare initiatives.

“We see the need to continue these efforts so that the impact is more widely felt, particularly among low-income groups,” he told reporters after clocking in at his ministry here today.

Masidi also highlighted that the increasingly challenging global economic environment, driven by falling commodity prices, including crude oil, is likely to influence the drafting of the Sabah 2026 Budget.

He added that international oil prices are currently trending downward compared with earlier projections made during the Budget planning phase.

“We hope this will not significantly disrupt our efforts to maintain development momentum, especially as allocations are aimed at improving the overall well-being of the people,” he said.

-- BERNAMA