Call for Sarawak to help poorer states unreasonable, says Abang Jo

The Sarawak premier tells Dr Mahathir Mohamad the state government believes that ‘charity begins at home’.

(FMT) – Abang Johari Openg has shot down a call by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad for Sarawak to help more backward states to develop since it has achieved high-income status.

Describing Mahathir’s call as unreasonable, the Sarawak premier said the state must first focus on boosting the income of its households, particularly those in rural areas.

Abang Johari also said Sarawak holds to the principle that “charity begins at home”, Berita Harian reported.

“Sarawak is just a state in Malaysia, it’s not the federal government for it to help other states,” he was quoted as saying.

Instead of asking one state to help others, he said, Mahathir should urge the federal government to focus on developing the poorer states.

Abang Johari said Putrajaya received the lion’s share of oil and gas revenue, and Sarawak only received state sales tax on petroleum products from Petronas.

“However, we manage our economy well, that’s why we are able to achieve high-income status. So it’s up to the other states (to manage their economy) and work harder.

“But while Sarawak has achieved high-income status, there are many people here whose essential needs have yet to be fulfilled. That’s why the Sarawak government’s focus right now is on developing our villages, not the villages of other (states).”

Mahathir had said that richer states like Sarawak should share their wealth with poorer ones, citing the state’s RM11 billion budget for this year.

He pointed out that other states only set aside about RM700 million a year, adding that it was time that Sarawak supported the poorer states “having been supported by Putrajaya in the past”.