KOTA KINABALU: Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan has described the national 2014 budget tabled by Prime Minister cum Finance Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak as a good and comprehensive one.
The PBS president pointed out that some of the allocations given to Sabah had been announced earlier and said, “if you noticed, there is RM50 million allocated for the surveying of NCR lands for the issuance of communal titles. This is what I think the Prime Minister had sort of hinted at during his speech at the PBS congress”.
According to Pairin, the allocations for Sabah will help boost the state’s economy because the funding will be used to improve infrastructure in the state.
“All in all the budget is of course a very comprehensive and wide one, it has taken into account the issues the lower income group has been voicing and at that same time, also looked into the requests from the business sector like when they ask for incentives.
“You notice that the income tax and the corporate tax are reduced and obviously this will go a long way towards giving the necessary boost to the necessary individuals and the business sector.
“This is a good budget and obviously when it comes to budget preparation, it is not easy to take everything into account but if you notice, the GST is going to be introduced,” Pairin said after officiating Sabah Theological Seminary’s (STS) anniversary thanksgiving celebration and graduation ceremony.
He was of the opinion that the GST is a long-term foundation for the purpose of ensuring that the whole country will have the strength of the necessary source of revenue.
“When you want to help the people more, you need more revenue so when you are able to attain a stronger base of continued source which is sustainable, it will be good for the country in the long run. It will show and help develop that high income country towards 2020,” he explained.
When asked to comment on complaints that Malaysia is not ready for the implementation of GST as wages are still low, Pairin stressed that it will only be implemented in 2015.
“GST is not going to be immediate. This has been discussed over several years already and mentally a lot of people are ready but others don’t take it seriously. Those who do not yet understand think of GST negatively but I think the intention is good, for the purpose of the benefit to the country and the people in the long run.
“A total of 160 countries in the world have implemented GST so this must indicate that it is a good objective to have,” he said.
In his speech for the thanksgiving celebration and graduation ceremony, Pairin said the State Government is committed in its efforts to improve the quality of education in Sabah and that focus would be given particularly to the interior area of the state.
“As the government plays its role to support educational institutions of higher learning in whatever way possible, it is my greatest hope that STS will continue to play its role in its effort to uplift the moral and social status of the people,” said Pairin who is also Infrastructure Development Minister.
According to Pairin, he was privileged to personally witness the establishment of STS 25 years ago when he was the then Sabah Chief Minister.
“I was even able, in my capacity, to grant some assistance to its development during the initial period by providing a piece of land and some state government grant. I am delighted to see that this seminary has now become a university college well recognized, internationally.
“As the only seminary in Malaysia that uses Bahasa Malaysia as its medium of instruction up to degree and post graduate level, the role STS plays in leadership development and national integration is highly commendable,” he said.
Pairin added that he believes the role STS plays is big as it has, over the past 25 years, trained more than 2,500 alumni who are now serving as pastors, teachers, community leaders, civil servants and others.