Ewon Benedick – file photo
KOTA BELUD (June 16): Kadamaian State assemblyman Datuk Ewon Benedick questioned the Federal Government’s decision to bear a subsidy of RM140 million for RapidKL commuters and RM15 million for KTM Klang Valley services.
With the decision, he said the Prime Minister is trying to cover up inefficiency of monorail services in Kuala Lumpur by providing free fares for a month to consumers.
“The real question here is, what about Sabah? Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Bung Moktar Radin as the Works Minister stated that Sabah needs an allocation of RM265 million to repair roads throughout Sabah.
“But unfortunetly the Prime Minister did not address Sabah’s needs quickly, “he said.
Ewon stated that the Prime Minister’s announcement clearly showed that the Federal Government’s priority was not on the urgent needs of the people of Sabah.
“Previously, the people of Sabah were told that if the State and the Federal Governments are in one coalition, then progress in Sabah will be easier to implement. The fact is not.
“The previous Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin did not take drastic action to improve the public health system in Sabah during the Covid-19 critical period, instead Sabah was lagging behind in the people’s vaccination program.
“The current Prime Minister has also failed to make the needs of the people of Sabah such as road repairs throughout the state as priority. It is not fair for the Federal Government to spend RM155 million to fund the free monorail fare program in Kuala Lumpur but the need to repair roads in Sabah is not given the same allocation,” he said.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced the free fare program after officiating the Putrajaya Line MRT Phase One on Thursday.
According to Ewon, the Federal Government should stop issuing allocations to fund monorail transport subsidies or fund road toll subsidies in the Peninsula before fulfilling its constitutional obligation to provide 40 per cent of federal revenue in Sabah.
“In Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur, they always talk about the ‘bailout’ of certain companies, issuing large allocations for toll subsidies and so on, but do not want to carry out the constitutional responsibility as in Article 112C which is to give back 40 per cent of federal revenue in Sabah.
“This includes ensuring that the allocation allocated for Sabah should remain for projects that have been planned in Sabah,” he said.
Ewon said the matter is among issues he would raise in the state assembly next month.