All the bold economic announcements by the GRS-led Sabah government are doing little to ease the daily struggles of ordinary Sabahans, Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said.
The Sabah opposition leader said the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government is painting an overly optimistic picture of Sabah’s economy while failing to address persistent poverty, unemployment and failing public services.
“While billions are announced, the lives of ordinary Sabahans have either remained unchanged or have deteriorated,” Shafie said, responding to the government’s boast of its largest-ever RM6.4 billion state budget.
The budget, he said, was also built on risky assumptions – including the government’s over-reliance on oil and gas revenue at a projected oil price of USD76 per barrel, despite market prices hovering around USD60.
“If prices stay low, Sabah could lose hundreds of millions in revenue, wiping out the projected surplus and pushing the state into deficit,” he said.
Shafie also questioned the government’s readiness to protect development spending if revenue targets fall short while maintaining that Sabah remains Malaysia’s poorest region and home to eight of the country’s poorest districts despite a record budget announcement.
Further to this, Sabah’s unemployment rate is also the highest in the country at 7.9% or approximately 170,000 person without work, said Shafie adding that while those with jobs also are struggling with low wages.
He noted over half of the working Sabahans are earning below the RM2,000 a month.
Shafie also highlighted the incident of children suffering from hunger and that one of four children under five years old in Sabah are suffering from stunted growth.
He said records also show that Sabah is also the worst in the country in terms of stunted growth.
Shafie also pointed out the number of corruption cases involving the education system, citing a couple of recent cases involving false claims and bribery involving hundreds of thousands of ringgit.
“The system punishes honesty instead of protecting it,” Shafie said, accusing the government of failing to ensure that federal education funds reach rural schools in need.
He further criticised the government for spending lavishly on launching events and public relations campaigns while basic infrastructure crumbles.
“Why are millions spent on tents, souvenirs and lucky draws while our roads collapse, electricity fails and families struggle with the rising cost of living?” he asked.
Warisan called on Sabahans to reject what it described as failure in leadership masked by government propaganda.
“Sabahans cannot continue to pay the price for a government that cares more about slogans and image than the people’s real problems,” Shafie said. – May 14, 2025
