Jeffrey (middle) in a cake cutting ceremony in conjunction with the 2025 Chinese New Year celebration.
KOTA KINABALU (Jan 24): Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Jeffrey Kitingan expressed disappointment with the small increase in development funding for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Ministry in the 2025 State Budget.
He said his ministry (MAFFI) requires RM173.6 million for 2025 to effectively develop the agricultural sector but only RM148.13 million has been approved in the 2025 Budget.
MAFFI was allocated RM143.98 million for development in 2024. Based on the 2025 budget, MAFFI has been allocated RM148.13 million for development purposes. The percentage increase in the 2025 development allocation is only RM4.15 million, or 2.8 percent, compared to 2024.
“Hence, it is very difficult for us to achieve our outlined objectives this year. I am disappointed with the small increase in development funding for 2025, as we need a larger budget to expand the agriculture sector, address existing issues, and achieve our goals,” the MAFFI minister said in his address at Wisma Pertanian today.
For example, as of November 2024, MAFFI has received applications worth RM40.3 million for upgrading or maintaining agricultural roads from various districts across Sabah. However, only RM4.2 million has been allocated for this purpose, he said.
Similarly, the Sabah Paddy and Rice Board (LPBS) applied for RM27.5 million but was only approved RM2.5 million, he added.
“But, I have appealed to the Cabinet to reconsider allocating RM30 million from the RM600 million interim fund for the development of the paddy industry in Sabah. With this allocation, I am confident that we will be able to increase the paddy Self-Sufficiency Rate (SSR) to 30 percent by 2027 and further to 60 percent by 2030,” he said.
He also expressed his disappointment that out of the total RM86 billion development allocation, RM73.4 billion is designated for the Peninsula, while only RM6.7 billion is allocated to Sabah and RM5.9 billion to Sarawak.
Additionally, flood mitigation projects serve as another example of the significant development funding needs of the state, yet the approved allocation remains minimal, he said.
“Under the 12th Malaysia Plan (RMK-12), the Sabah Department of Irrigation and Drainage applied for RM733.5 million for flood mitigation works but was only granted RM131.5 million,” explained Jeffrey.
And the Veterinary Services Department (DVS) also submitted a funding application for the Sabah Dairy Transformation Project amounting to RM60 million.
“However, it was not approved and received no allocation. Similar projects have existed since the Sixth Malaysia Plan (RMK-6), but they were not continued under the 12th Malaysia Plan (RMK-12). As a result, there has been no addition of imported dairy breeding stock and bulls in Sabah throughout the RMK-12 period (2021-2025),” he said.
“Consequently, we remain dependent on imports for up to 92.5% of ruminant livestock, making it impossible to fulfill the people’s aspirations and achieve the set objectives,” he added.
“Naturally, when we fail, the public will be disappointed with the ruling government. Therefore, the government and its agencies, as decision-makers, must recognise this situation, change their mindset, and make more progressive decisions in line with current needs.”
“All levels of society must understand these challenges and support the existing leadership so that meaningful reforms can be implemented. Only then can we move forward toward greater progress,” he urged.
He reminded that the agricultural sector is one of the three main focus areas for economic growth in Sabah under the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) development roadmap.
“This sector also holds great potential in generating state revenue, creating job opportunities, and helping to alleviate poverty, particularly among the poor and hardcore poor. Therefore, the development allocation should be increased to align with the needs and development agenda of the state of Sabah,” he stressed.
Jeffrey said MAFFI will continue to address the pressing issues of food security and declining agricultural production.
He said this is a critical global issue that also affects Sabah and the country.
“We, who are directly involved in the agriculture, fisheries and food industry sectors, have a responsibility to help address the food security challenges faced by the country,” he said.
The post Difficult for ministry to achieve objectives – Jeffrey appeared first on Borneo Post Online.