By WU VUIDE
KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Government has outlined a series of immediate and long-term measures to protect the public from rising cost-of-living pressures and potential fuel price shocks linked to global geopolitical tensions.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said global fuel price increases and disruptions to energy supply chains following conflicts in West Asia could have a cascading impact on the state economy.
The situation could lead to higher operating and logistics costs, which in turn may fuel inflation, reduce household purchasing power and slow economic growth, said Hajiji, responding to a question from Senallang Assemblyman Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal during the question-and-answer session at the State Legislative Assembly sitting yesterday.
He said RON95 petrol remains at RM1.99 per litre, while subsidised diesel is fixed at RM2.15 per litre for Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan.
Hajiji said the government has also consistently stressed the importance of maintaining diesel subsidies in Sabah to prevent rising transport costs from being passed on to consumers, particularly affecting small businesses.
He added that the Federal Government, through the National Economic Action Council (MTEN), has established a crisis management task force to monitor fuel supply and implement mitigation measures, including enforcement against smuggling and subsidy abuse.
On social protection measures, Hajiji said the government continues to implement targeted assistance programmes, including the Sentuhan Kasih Rakyat (Syukur) initiative, which provides monthly aid for 12 months to eligible recipients. The programme is expected to cover up to 140,000 recipients with an allocation of RM339.16 million.
He said this complements federal assistance schemes such as Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara).
Hajiji said more than 800,000 recipients in Sabah have benefited from STR and Sara, involving allocations totalling RM1.25 billion.
He said the government is also encouraging household-level resilience through the Kebun Dapur programme to promote home gardening and reduce food expenditure, as well as encouraging the consumption of local products to reduce reliance on imports.
On utility relief, he said the government continues to implement initiatives such as the RM40 electricity bill rebate for eligible households registered under eKasih, as well as discounts for welfare homes, places of worship and selected institutions.
He added that additional tariff incentives are also being extended to agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries sectors, as well as off-peak electricity discounts for small commercial users.
On food security, Hajiji said RM102.86 million has been allocated under the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK13) for food security-related projects aimed at increasing agricultural, livestock and fisheries output.
He said the objective is to reduce dependence on imported food, increase self-sufficiency levels and stabilise supply under volatile global conditions.
He also said five districts — Keningau, Tenom, Nabawan, Tongod and Tambunan — have been identified as food production zones under the Sabah Economic Development and Investment Authority (Sedia) initiative.
Hajiji said major projects such as the Keningau Integrated Livestock Centre (KILC) and dairy farming operations in Sook are part of efforts to reduce reliance on imported beef and dairy products.
On logistics, he said cooperation with the Federal Government to expand Sepanggar Port would improve cargo capacity and reduce shipping-related costs, helping to stabilise prices of goods in the state.
He added that Sabah is also working with the National Cost of Living Action Council (Naccol) and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) on a cost stabilisation study focusing on logistics reform and domestic production.
Hajiji said the government remains committed to strengthening micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by supporting local production and reducing dependence on imports.
He said the government will continue to monitor global developments and take appropriate measures to safeguard public welfare and economic stability.
He also urged the public to use fuel prudently, avoid wastage and prevent panic buying, stressing that responsible consumption is necessary to ensure stable supply in the market.
Hajiji said RM102.86 million has been allocated under the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK13) for food security-related projects aimed at increasing agricultural, livestock and fisheries output.
