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Kuala Lumpur: Putrajaya was on Tuesday urged to let Sabah manage the funds allocated under Budget 2022 or run the risk of the State being left behind in terms of development.

Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan) said when an allocation is set aside for Sabah but managed by the Federal Government, then the State won’t develop or prosper, like Penang and Selangor.

“This despite the fact that Sabah has the potential to be developed if there is desire to do so,” he told the Dewan Rakyat when debating the recently tabled national Budget 2022. Bung, who is also Deputy Chief Minister, said the State was among the poorest in the country, saying that it has been the case since he was 10 years old.

He then asked the Government to set aside 10pc of the total budget for Sabah alone.

Last month, Putrajaya tabled an allocation of RM332.1 billion. Sabah was allocated RM5.2 billion, a sum that has been criticised by politicians from the State.

“Last time it was around RM5 billion, next year it will be the same. Worse, the implementation (of initiatives) is slow. And this worries Sabahans.”

Bung made a similar call last month over the funds allocated to Sabah under the 12th Malaysia Plan, saying that the State also needed some autonomy, especially in view of the rapid development that is expected in Kalimantan, with the Indonesian government moving its administrative capital to Borneo.

Meanwhile, Bung called on all MPs to support the anti-party hopping bill proposed by Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said (BN-Pengerang) when it is tabled in the Dewan Rakyat.

He said the proposal should be accepted to ensure political and government stability for the wellbeing of the people and the nation’s prosperity.

He said this after Khalid Abd Samad (PH-Shah Alam) intervened into his speech by raising party hopping moves among politicians which resulted in political instability in the country.

"I also do not like people hopping and when people were hopping in Sabah, I was the last man standing who did not jump. It is because people were hopping, so Shah Alam (Khalid) who was in the Government then was dropped.

“As such, we want the general election to be held to stop the hopping and the member for Pengerang is formulating an anti-party hopping bill proposal.

"I fully support. I hope Shah Alam (Khalid) will also support. We do not hop, if we win, we win. If we lose, what is there to fear? Fight again the next time,” said Bung Moktar.

Earlier, Khalid alleged the party hopping of some members has caused a change in government which also affected the country’s economy.

“This is an irresponsible act by those who jump party and caused the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government which has a big majority but because of betrayal, there is political instability in Malaysia up to now,” said Khalid.

In September, Azalina called for an anti-party hopping bill to be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat soon as the practice of party hopping was not only unfair to the people but also to the political party which spent huge sums during the election.