Sabah’s state government will roll out a group insurance scheme on May 1 to cover citizens against accidental deaths and permanent disabilities, Finance Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said on April 16.

The RM50 million programme will run until April 2028 and is managed directly by Progressive Insurance Bhd, without involving agents. Coverage will be automatic for eligible Sabahans under a no-name master policy model.

“This ensures access for all, especially rural residents, without the need for individual registration,” Masidi said in his winding-up speech at the Sabah State Assembly on Wednesday.

The move comes amid a 60 per cent surge in traffic accidents in Sabah from 2020 to 2024, with fatalities rising from 220 to 319, according to police data.

Masidi also addressed the long-stalled PacifiCity project in Likas, saying buyers signed agreements with the now-defunct developer, not with the state or Sabah Development Bank (SDB).

“The developer has been liquidated and legal responsibility does not lie with the government,” he said. The High Court placed the project under full receivership in March. Discussions are ongoing between the liquidator and the Housing Ministry to identify a new contractor.

Separately, the minister said the government is moving to tackle revenue leakages through a centralised digital reporting system, stricter enforcement, and legal reforms to the State Sales Tax framework.

He said the Finance Ministry is working with enforcement agencies including the MACC, Customs and the Malaysian Palm Oil Board to conduct audits and pursue non-compliant entities.

“Sabah is not passively collecting taxes,” Masidi said. “We are strengthening enforcement and safeguarding fiscal rights.” – April 16, 2025