Sabah inherited low levels of social indicators at Independence and it is these indications that show that Sabah has chalked impressive progress.
COMMENT
The ‘Sabah Story’ is much like the ‘1001 Arabian Nights’ tale and is unlikely to conclude here, now and perhaps never will.
For a fair and unbiased understanding of the ‘Sabah Story’ we should read it with an open mind.
Then you see unfurling, a story of hope and determination.
But an open mind is something that is alien to our “liberal” media and the intellectually bankrupt commentaries that lay greater stress on fiction over fact.
Lets look at the facts.
Sabah inherited low levels of social indicators at Independence. It is the change in these indications that show that Sabah has chalked impressive progress.
The state’s performance against the backdrop of these low socio-economic base from where it started its journey to rapid growth and spectacular development.
The literacy rate has risen from 22% in1960 to 69% in 2001 and 80% in 2011.
The infant mortality rate per thousand has fallen from 144 in 1971 to 60 in 2001 and 31 in 2011.
But do the blinkered care?
Poverty reduced
The fact is the federal government earmarked just 35% of its budget for development work, the Sabah administration spend 65%.
It’s latest budget for 2013-2014 is “higher by nearly 80-fold” compared to the state’s first budget 50 years ago, noted a media release.
It noted that 50 years ago the revenue estimate was only RM61.5 million while the expenditure estimate was RM61million.
“In 1974, the estimate revenue rose to RM207 million and the estimate expenditure to RM239 million. Ten years later in 1984 the estimate revenue reached RM1.22 billion.
“2014, has set the highest ever state revenue target which is RM4.58 billion, marking an increase of 20% from 2013’s original estimates of RM3.83 billion,” said the statement.
Chief Minister Musa Aman said the state economy has grown leaps and bounds in the past five decades and that the peoples’ – “from all walks of life” and “wherever they may be” – wellbeing and the state’s prosperity is “our main agendas”.
So there is a mission for which the government has allocated RM1.58 billion for “improving infrastructure and public amenities”.
And this is besides the RM627.92 million allocated to upgrade water supply.
Musa claims that to achieve zero hardcore poor target and reduce relative poor in Sabah, the government has allocated RM198.14 million to implement various programme.
The reduction of poverty from 19.7% in 2009 to 8.1% in 2012 proved that the government’s efforts in this has borne fruits.
Musa said the bulk of the Sabah budget is earmarked for development.
His RM4.622 billion state budget for 2013-2014 sought to tell the Sabah growth story.
But do the blinkered care?
Selvarajah Somiah is a geologist and freelance writer. He blogs at selvarajasomiah.wordpress.com.....fmt
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