KUALA LUMPUR: Sarawak has urged Putrajaya to promptly reimburse the state government for federal projects that were funded using state coffers.
Senator Datuk Ahmad Ibrahim, in debating the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) at Dewan Negara on Tuesday, said Sarawak had shouldered the responsibility of financing projects that constitutionally fall under federal jurisdiction.
These included the construction of roads, healthcare centres, bridges and school repairs.
“The state government has acted as the immediate rescuer for the people.
“But as an equal partner in Malaysia, we demand that these funds be returned in an orderly and transparent manner, with a clear timeframe,” he stressed.
He expressed concern over the absence of clarity on repayment timelines, warning that prolonged uncertainty risked undermining Sarawak’s fiscal discipline.
“To this day, we do not know when these reimbursements will be made. Will it be in one year, five years, ten years — or perhaps never at all?
“This uncertainty burdens Sarawak’s financial planning and erodes the reserves we have built with great discipline,” he said.
Ahmad pointed out that with Sarawak receiving limited allocation under the 13MP, reimbursement of the State’s advances has become more urgent.
“Sarawakians deserve fair treatment, not only in terms of new development allocations but also in the reimbursement of funds already advanced by the state,” he added.
