KUCHING: Sarawak's 2026 Budget should be accompanied by greater transparency, accountability and public involvement to ensure the people benefit equitably, says a civil society organisation.
Persatuan Pemangkin Daya Masyarakat (PPDM) said that despite the budget's size, important details on ministry-level allocations and specific development projects were not readily available.
"Currently, only headline figures are easily accessible. Critical information such as programme-level allocations in the ministries, contractor details, implementation targets and constituency-level project lists remains difficult for the public to access and scrutinise.
"Without full disclosure, citizens are unable to assess whether funds are used efficiently, equitably and in alignment with community needs," PPDM said in a statement on Tuesday (Nov 25).
Sarawak tabled a budget totalling RM14.9bil for 2026 on Monday (Nov 24), with RM5.6bil for operating expenditure and RM9.3bil for development.
PPDM cautioned that the lack of transparency created space for leakage, duplication of work, inflated project costs and potential misuse of public funds.
The organisation urged the state government to publish full line-by-line state budget details on the Sarawak Legislative Assembly website, similar to the information made available on the Parliament website for the annual federal budget.
It said the state government should also release comprehensive development project lists, implement a public-facing budget dashboard and adopt open contracting and procurement standards.
"Improved transparency will not only strengthen public trust but also support more effective monitoring and ensure that public resources genuinely benefit Sarawakians," PPDM added.
