Kota Kinabalu: Balung Assemblyman Syed Ahmad Syed Abas used his maiden intervention on the first day of the 17th Sabah State Legislative Assembly on Monday to outline a series of structural reforms, focusing on infrastructure, utilities, social services and governance.
Speaking during the debate, Syed Ahmad said the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) Budget must continue to prioritise roads, water supply and electricity, acknowledging that these issues have persisted for decades.
Drawing on his background as an engineer, he stressed that long-term solutions require addressing root causes rather than repeated temporary fixes.
On road damage, he pointed out that ordinary vehicles were not the main cause, but overloaded heavy lorries, and urged the relevant departments to enforce stricter controls.
He suggested that if enforcement remains weak, a specialised unit should be established to monitor and manage overloaded vehicles.
Turning to water supply, Syed Ahmad highlighted Sabah’s critically high Non-Revenue Water (NRW) levels, calling for urgent measures to reduce losses.
On electricity, he urged closer monitoring of the generation, transmission and distribution chain, noting that public complaints often stem from systemic weaknesses rather than isolated faults.
He also touched on urban planning under the SMJ agenda, referring to concepts such as Pangsapuri 1.0 and 2.0, where higher-density vertical housing allows the same land area to support more residents.
He said developments of four to ten storeys could optimise land use, reduce commuting time and support more efficient town planning, as already being implemented by the Land and Survey Department (LPPB).
Syed Ahmad welcomed the inclusion of RM670 million in the 2026 Budget for the construction of autism centres across Sabah, including in Tawau, Sandakan, Beluran and Kudat.
He said the initiative was timely and necessary, and called on employers to provide greater flexibility to parents of children with autism, recognising the unique challenges they face in caregiving and education.
Addressing local issues, he said water supply remains the most pressing concern in Balung, noting that while residents elsewhere may experience severe distress after 48 hours without water, communities in Balung have endured up to 14 days without supply.
As short-term measures while awaiting the completion of the Cinta Mata project, he proposed alternative sources such as rainwater harvesting, static tanks, tube wells, gravity-fed systems and, in the longer term, a desalination mechanism capable of producing up to 10 million litres per day.
On youth development, Syed Ahmad urged the government to reconsider the allocation for the Ministry of Youth and Sports, saying the current two-digit budget figure was insufficient given that youths make up around 60 per cent of Sabah’s population.
He called for a more substantial, three-digit allocation to reflect the ministry’s importance.
He also raised concerns over representation, arguing that 73 state seats are no longer adequate for a state as large as Sabah, which spans about 73,000 square kilometres.
Comparing Sabah with neighbouring states, he said Sabah should have up to 94 seats based on population size.
As an interim measure, he proposed restructuring representation so that two state constituencies are aligned to one parliamentary seat, which would increase Sabah’s voice at the federal level.
Concluding his remarks, Syed Ahmad called for a comprehensive review of outdated laws, suggesting that legislation enacted more than 20 years ago, including those dating back to 1985, should be reassessed to determine whether they remain relevant or require amendment to meet current realities.
