PAS lawmakers have been left disappointed by the Pakatan Harapan government for what they claim is a lopsided budget that sidelines the eastern states of Kelantan and Terengganu.

“In the budget this time, issues brought up by (Prime Minister) Dr Mahathir Mohamad is the equal development of states but, from what I see, there is none of that,” said PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man.

“There is no clear data, especially for the east coast.

“Almost no big agendas at all. I believe there is partiality in terms of government planning,” said the Kubang Kerian MP.

PAS’ Tumpat MP Che Abdullah Md Nawi said that while development in Sabah and Sarawak got special mentions, Kelantan and Terengganu, states also lagging behind in development, were not allocated special funds.

“I was disappointed when there were no specific projects for Kelantan as we had expected. The finance minister himself had said that Kelantan was a failed, poor state, so why isn’t it getting help from the federal government?” said Pasir Mas MP Ahmad Fadhli Shaari.

“Where are the special allocations for the building of highways, upgrading the airport and so on? I see intentional discrimination against states ruled by PAS,” he said.

Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng had announced that the government was allocating RM5.009 billion to Sabah and RM4.346 billion to Sarawak next year to ensure that developments could continue in both states.

The allocation is a sizeable increase from RM4.133 billion for Sabah and RM4.336 billion for Sarawak in Budget 2018.

There were no specific budget allocations for Kelantan and Terengganu, which are ruled by PAS. – November 2, 2018.