KUCHING: The Ministry of Economy will gather feedback, assess, and harmonise the required allocations for each state under the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK-13), even with Sarawak’s large funding requests exceeding RM100bil.
Minister Rafizi Ramli said his team will balance the allocation in stages, not just for Sarawak but for all other states.
“The figures presented may seem large, 100 billion here, 30 billion there, and so on, but it’s the total amount needed to address all gaps.
“The five-year Malaysia Plan typically prioritises investments aligned with economic strategy and phases them in gradually.
“So, there’s no need to ‘pengsan’ (faint) at these numbers. This is an initial assessment at the state level to identify gaps requiring urgent attention.”
He said this when met by media after the Stakeholder Engagement Session with the Sarawak government for the 13th Malaysia Plan at Pullman Hotel here, Wednesday (Oct 30).
Rafizi assured that his ministry would evaluate Sarawak’s requests, planning efficiently to address infrastructure-related gaps outlined by the state.
“We’ll take feedback, evaluate, and harmonise it, allowing us to plan efficiently. For example, determining the necessary expenditure over five years based on national economic capacity and goals.
“Once the total funding requirement is clear, the allocation and implementation will be phased to ensure fairness across all states, including Sarawak.”
Rafizi further said the engagement session with the Sarawak government focused on aligning economic plans for mutual success over the coming five years (2026-2030).
“Some of Sarawak’s requests are already underway, with both the Sarawak and federal governments aligning efforts over the past two years.
“Our focus is on what else can be achieved with the successful coordination to ensure progress over the next five years, from 2026-2030.
“Our belief is that what is good for Sarawak is good for Malaysia, and vice versa. So, what we need to do is align and harmonise to gain the synergy needed to accelerate over the next five years,” Rafizi added.
