BUDGET 2024 BENEFITS FOR SARAWAK EXTEND BEYOND RM5.8 BLN ALLOCATION - ABANG JOHARI
BINTULU, Oct 15 (Bernama) -- The Budget 2024 benefits for Sarawak are not limited to the RM5.8 billion development allocation for the state alone, but also include the allocations provided to ministries at the federal level.
Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the budget tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim also addresses issues related to the state, such as negotiations to take over Bintulu Port, the development of a Sarawak Cancer Centre, and infrastructure development.
“I thank the Unity Government for providing a substantial allocation to Sarawak. There are also ministries that have their budget allocations for Sarawak. In other words, it could be more than RM5.8 billion,” he told a press conference after the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Bintulu Zone Special Convention here today.
Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, when tabling the Budget 2024 on Friday, said RM5.8 billion has been allocated for development in the state.
In addition, the Unity Government also increased the interim special grants rate for Sarawak and Sabah to RM300 million, compared to RM16 million for Sarawak and RM125.6 million for Sabah previously.
Admitting that Sarawak desires a larger allocation next year, Abang Johari said they understand the limitations and constraints on the allocation that the Federal Government could channel.
“What’s important is that (the government agreed) to appoint a representative from Sarawak as a member of the Inland Revenue Board (IRB),” he said.
The Dewan Rakyat previously passed the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (Amendment) Bill 2023 to allow representatives from the Sabah and Sarawak governments to be appointed as members of the IRB board of directors.
Abang Johari also said that the focus after the tabling of the budget would be on further discussions regarding Article 112D of the Federal Constitution, which pertains to special grants for Sabah and Sarawak.
-- BERNAMA
