KENINGAU: Although the people of Sabah are excited by the RM5 billion allocated to the state under 2019 Budget, they are more interested to see how it will be distributed.
They are wondering if it will meet their needs, especially in terms of basic infrastructure like clean water supply, road networks, electricity and daily necessities.
“We need to see the details … we also need to know if the allocation favours the people, especially in overcoming traffic problems, clean water supply, agricultural development and broadband access to rural people.
“For example, a RM50 million allocation is too little to reduce the burden of rubber smallholders when rubber prices fall,” said National Agriculture Advisor Prof (Adjunct) Datuk Yap Yun Fok.
He said that the allocation for this purpose (minimise impact of falling rubber prices) was not enough to address the people’s grievances over rubber prices which was falling day by day.
Rosanna Edeza, secretary-general of the Sabah Native Farming Association (Peribumi), said that the RM30 million allocation to help smallholders secure Malaysia’s sustainable oil palm certification (MSPO) was insufficient at a time when many were interested in engaging in the oil palm plantation sector.
Ekok Amin, a member of the Association of Smallholders of Interior Sabah supreme committee, feels that a bigger portion should be used to tackle the impact of falling rubber and oil palm prices on the people.
Ekok said that part of the RM5 billion should be used to find a more effective way to tackle the falling commodity prices of rubber and oil palm. — BERNAMA