SARAWAK and Sabah need not depend entirely on Putrajaya for development funds, said Abang Johari Openg tonight.

The Sarawak chief minister said the two states can, within constitutional frameworks, raise their own money for projects.

“Sabah and Sarawak have changed due to economic progress. Therefore, we must also change the way we run things.

“We have federalism, and the way we manage our economy and culture has to revolve around the state’s special rights under the constitution,” he said at a dinner in conjunction with his visit to Kota Kinabalu.

Present were Sabah Chief Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal, as well as members of both states’ cabinets.

Abang Johari said Sarawak has already decided that it cannot depend fully on the federal government to become a high-income state by 2030.

He said he expects Sarawak to use its own funds to build roads, bridges and ports under the 12th Malaysia Plan, which covers the 2021-2025 period.

Given that infrastructure, such as port facilities, comes under the constitution’s State List, he said, the revenue collected will be channelled back to the state government.

He proposed that Sabah and Sarawak jointly form an airline to boost connectivity and tourism.

Abang Johari also floated the idea of a joint power grid with Sabah and Indonesia, saying Sarawak is in talks with Indonesian authorities on a possible energy company, which would allow state utility firm Sarawak Energy to sell electricity across the border to Kalimantan.

One day, Borneo could even have its own mass rapid transit service, “connecting Kuching with Pontianak in Kalimantan, Kota Kinabalu and Brunei”, he added.

“As they say, a dream is a dream, but who knows, maybe some day, it will become a reality.” – October 14, 2019.