The matter was likely to come back and bite the government during the general election as it would be highlighted as an issue, said Council of Professors fellow Jeniri Amir.
He agreed with former Sabah chief minister Shafie Apdal that the Borneo states had been sidelined in the budget.
Jeniri said Sabah and Sarawak were contributing significantly to the country’s income but had been given a “pittance” in return.
“As Shafie rightfully pointed out, the allocation for the natives of Sabah and Sarawak is also a pittance compared with that for the people in the peninsula.
“This is against the Malaysian Family concept. This will make the people of Sabah and Sarawak question the commitment of the federal government.
“The matter has to be addressed effectively, otherwise the people will complain. That’s why we hear voices of dissent from both states.”
Shafie told the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday that the community development expenditure for all Sabah and Sarawak natives only amounted to RM10 million, whereas the Orang Asli, Chinese and Indian communities were allocated RM247 million, RM200 million and RM145 million respectively.
“Where is the justice? The government must be fair to all states. The promises made to Sabah and Sarawak during the formation of Malaysia in 1963 must be fulfilled,” said the Warisan president.
Shafie also said Sabah and Sarawak were only given RM5.2 billion and RM4.6 billion respectively in development expenditure when both states contributed RM145 billion through petroleum revenue to the federal government.
The unhappiness was not only from the opposition. Even Sabah deputy chief ministers Bung Moktar Radin and Jeffrey Kitingan have voiced frustration over the allocations.
Universiti Sabah Malaysia senior lecturer Romzi Ationg noted that federal leaders had repeatedly said Sabah and Sarawak deserved greater assistance in order to improve the standard of living in both states.
But those voices have fallen silent now.
“The federal leaders must walk the talk and uphold the Malaysia Agreement 1963,” he told FMT.
“And yes, this will affect the general election results as the people of Sabah and Sarawak are increasingly becoming unhappy with the attitude of federal leaders who will not accommodate their demands and rights.”
Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, however, disagreed with Jeniri and Romzi, saying that while the issue would no doubt be hotly debated, it would not affect the government’s election chances.
“What will matter is the partial distribution of inducements right before the election, with promises of further disbursements after, provided they win the polls,” he said.
Political economist Firdausi Suffian doesn’t believe Sabah and Sarawak were sidelined in the budget, but feels the amount given could have been higher.
“This is especially for the RM5.2 billion for Sabah. We have to remember that the state is very big and so much needs to be done.
“But there are allocations which are good — like the RM1.5 billion for rural infrastructure development, RM746 million to repair dilapidated schools in Sabah and Sarawak, and the transportation subsidies, among others.
“My concern is not so much about the money allocated but about how the Sabah state government prioritises the money for development,” he said.
For example, Firdausi said both states received substantial amounts of money annually for rural infrastructure development but this was undermined by the slow implementation process. In worst-case scenarios, he added, some projects were not even carried out.
“Everyone knows this is the largest budget ever tabled by the federal government. It is now up to the state government to show it can make a difference.”