Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said that a special committee involving the federal and state governments will be established to implement the new measures. — Bernama pic
KOTA KINABALU, Oct 30 — The 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) will emphasise on poverty eradication efforts in Sabah by 2025, Minister in Prime Minister’s Department (Economy) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said.
“As Sabah has the highest poverty rate in Malaysia, there will be new measures, involving the federal and state governments, as well as the private sector, that will be implemented to stimulate the economy, especially in rural areas, to eradicate the hardcore poor and reduce the poverty rate in the state.
“As a start, we request the assistance of the state government to identify two rural locations so that we can develop those areas and focus on implementing projects that can increase the incomes of farmers and villagers in whatever sector we wish to develop,” he told reporters after the Post-12MP Roadshow with the Sabah state government here today.
Also present were Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Hajiji Noor and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs) Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili.
Mustapa said that a special committee involving the federal and state governments will be established to implement the new measures, adding that the state government could share whatever was planned in the Sabah Maju Jaya state development plan 2021-2025 to ensure that efforts to boost the state’s economic development were successful.
“This is important to reduce the development gap between states in Malaysia…so we will ensure development in Sabah can be intensified, especially infrastructure facilities,” he said.
Meanwhile, Hajiji said that throughout the implementation period of the previous Malaysia Plan, Sabah faced various issues and challenges, including the lack of basic infrastructure, unbalanced development and inefficient and ineffective delivery and collaboration of public services.
“Taking into consideration these issues and challenges, the state government fully supports the federal government’s efforts to spur socioeconomic development in Sabah and Sarawak,” he said.
The state government and Sabahans, he said, hoped that the federal government would continue to support and focus on the state’s development in an inclusive manner.
“This includes bigger allocations in the future to implement high-impact development projects to stimulate economic growth and to increase the prosperity of people in the state,” he added. — Bernama