KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government has been urged to top up an additional RM100 to the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) federal assistance to help cushion rising living costs.
State government Backbenchers Club chairman Datuk Masiung Banah said the move would raise monthly aid to RM200 for nearly 498,000 targeted recipients in Sabah, helping families cope with inflationary pressures driven by global oil price hikes and supply chain disruptions.
“If the state has sufficient financial resources, this additional RM100 will provide meaningful relief for the rakyat,” he said during his debate on the Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Musa Aman’s opening address.
Masiung (GRS-Kuamut) also proposed broader measures to help Sabahans weather economic uncertainties, including loan moratoriums for B40 and M40 borrowers, as well as small and medium enterprises (SMEs), if the global crisis persists.
He also called for stricter enforcement under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 and the Supply Control Act 1991 to curb profiteering and manipulation of subsidised goods.
Masiung further urged the state government to intensify its claim to the 40% special grant under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), and to ensure Sabah’s continental shelf remains under its jurisdiction, rather than being limited to three nautical miles under the Territorial Sea Act 2012.
He also proposed setting up a Sabah Palm Oil Board to directly manage crude palm oil sales tax and cess collections, adding that raising the state sales tax on palm oil to 8% could generate over RM1.4bil annually.
Masiung also called for enforcement against the influx of illegal immigrants, saying their presence poses security risks and strains resources.
“The people expect Sabah leaders to act decisively, whether on cost-of-living relief, revenue rights or sovereignty issues,” he said.
