Sabah MCA is calling on the Federal Government to promptly disburse funds allocated for the state under Budget 2024. The party’s state liaison chairman, Lu Yen Tung, emphasized the importance of ensuring that much-needed development projects can be undertaken in a timely manner. Lu further highlighted concerns regarding the progress of basic amenities, specifically roads such as the Pan Borneo Highway, as well as water and electricity supply-related projects. He urged the government to expedite the progress of these projects and emphasized that any delays would undermine public trust in the government.
Lu expressed that Sabahans hold high expectations for progress in the state and, therefore, hopes that the allocated funds will be disbursed by Putrajaya as soon as possible. He believes that enhancing basic amenities and improving the standard of living would attract foreign investments and contribute to the state’s domestic economic development.
In regard to the increase in the sales and service tax (SST) from 6% to 8%, Lu expressed concerns about its impact on inflation and the tourism industry as a service-based sector. However, he also noted that this development provides an opportunity for Sabah, particularly with the planned Visit Malaysia Year 2026. The government aims to attract 26.1 million tourists and generate RM97.6 billion in revenue from domestic and foreign tourists during this period. Lu highlighted the potential of Sabah’s islands as snorkelling and scuba-diving destinations, as well as the attractiveness of Mount Kinabalu for mountaineers worldwide. He believes that this will further promote the development of Sabah’s tourism sector.
