KUCHING: Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Councillor Eric Tay called on the federal government to review the 2026 Federal Budget, saying Sarawak deserves a fairer allocation that reflects its real needs.
He said while Sabah received RM6.9 billion and Sarawak RM6.0 billion, the RM900 million difference should not be seen only from the population angle.
“Sabah getting RM900 million more may seem reasonable at first, but Sarawak faces faster ageing, wider medical coverage, and higher costs in remote areas. Population alone cannot determine fair allocation,” he said.
Tay noted that the Ministry of Health received RM46.5 billion, including RM2 billion for hospital and clinic upgrades nationwide, but questioned how much would reach Sarawak.
“Our hospitals and clinics are ageing, we face staff shortages, and transport costs are high. With more elderly people needing long term care, we need more healthcare funding, not less,” he said.
He also urged the government to clarify how many of the 43 flood mitigation projects under the RM2.2 billion allocation will benefit Sarawak.
“Flooding continues to affect areas like Kuching, Sibu, Bintulu, and Sarikei. We need transparency on whether Sarawak is included,” he said.
Tay pointed out that the federal government has recovered and saved more than RM30 billion through anti-corruption measures and subsidy reforms, showing that Malaysia has the financial ability to allocate more to states that need it.
“Part of these funds should compensate Sarawak for the petroleum revenues and development resources lost over the years. As a founding partner of Malaysia, Sarawak deserves a fairer share,” he said.
He added that Sarawak’s RM6.0 billion allocation is very small compared to the RM470 billion total national budget.
“Sarawak, as a federal partner under the Malaysia Agreement 1963, deserves a larger share to develop infrastructure, healthcare, transport, and education. We are vast and sparsely populated with higher costs, so we need fairness and transparency in allocations that truly benefit the people,” he said.
By Connie Chieng