pic by TMR FILE

PUTRAJAYA should allow Sabah state government to utilise its own funds allocated from the budget as a huge chunk of the amount remains unaccounted for.

Sepanggar MP Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman (picture) also questioned the Finance Ministry’s figure that Sabah and Sarawak were given 20% out of the RM75 billion development budget.

“Sabah has been allocated RM5.2 billion while Sarawak is given RM4.6 billion. How is that 20% of the development budget of RM75 billion?” he told Dewan Rakyat during his Budget 2022 debate yesterday.

He noted that from 2019 to 2020, the development funds of Sabah either remained stagnant or declined.

According to him, not more than 40% of the funds were utilised, despite having an average of RM5 billion allocation.

“Sabah was allocated RM216 million for electricity but only RM91 million was spent. On roads and bridges, only RM127 million out of the RM494 million allocation was used,” he said.

The Parti Warisan youth chief also said the government must show its commitment in honouring the MA63 Agreement or it risks losing Sabahans’ support.