Extra Allocation For Sabah Sarawak Fair Anwar Rebuts Opposition

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Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has refuted the opposition’s claims that he favours East Malaysian states over the ones in the peninsula due to the larger allocation given to Sabah and Sarawak.
Anwar said the large allocation given to the two Borneo states is based on needs.
“Some opposition parliamentarians criticised me, saying Anwar or the finance minister is not fair because he gave too much priority to Sabah and Sarawak and has shunned the peninsula states.
“My answer (is that) we give based on needs... (For example) roads, other states also have potholes but it is not as severe as Sabah’s, hence there is more allocation (for Sabah).”
Anwar said this while speaking at a town hall session with students and alumni of East Malaysian universities today.
Justice, the prime minister said, does not mean an equal distribution of resources such as “RM1 billion for Selangor and RM1 billion for Sabah”.
“What is justice? Justice means putting things where they should be. Justice does not mean equal (distribution of resources)… It is (based on) need,” he added.
Hardcore poverty
The prime minister reminded that he previously announced he wants to eradicate hardcore poverty within this year.
Coincidentally, Anwar said, Sabah has the highest rate of hardcore poverty in the country.
“This means that the highest allocation for hardcore poverty will be channelled to Sabah.
“This does not mean that I am pro-Sabah or that I disagree with Penang,” he added.
According to data from the Statistics Department, as of 2019 and 2020, Sabah has the highest rate of hardcore poverty at 19.5 and 25.3 percent respectively.
This is followed by Kelantan, which recorded 21.2 and 12.4 percent in those years.
Nationwide, the incidence of hardcore poverty for 2019 and 2020 stood at 5.6 and 8.4 percent. - Mkini

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