By MOHD IZHAM BIN HASHIM
KOTA KINABALU: Soaring prices are increasingly pushing basic necessities out of reach for Sabahans, prompting an opposition lawmaker to demand answers on the tangible impact of the government’s RM1 billion budget specifically allocated to alleviate spiralling living costs.
“Consumers continue to grapple with steep price hikes for staples like chicken, fish, eggs, and cabbage,” lamented Tanjung Aru Assemblyman Datuk Junz Wong during the debate session at the State Legislative Assembly. “Today, chicken stands at a whopping RM15 per kg, up from RM12.50–RM13 per kg in 2023. Eggs are now RM18–RM21, compared to RM13–RM14.50 previously, while cabbage, once merely RM1.50 to RM2, now costs RM8.”
Junz highlighted the drastic disparity in prices between Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia, citing that a kilogram of cabbage in Johor, for instance, can be purchased for as low as RM1.69. He questioned why Sabahans, especially those relying on locally produced goods, face such significantly higher costs despite the government’s stated commitment to price control.
“This is the pressing issue in Sabah right now. I believe our people are under immense pressure,” Junz asserted, noting that residents are experiencing diminishing disposable income and reduced purchasing power for essential food items. “People are feeling more and more burdened every day by the rising cost of living.”
The assemblyman also questioned the effectiveness of measures implemented by the ministry responsible for increasing agricultural production and quality—concerns he has repeatedly raised over the past two years.
“We must remember, this problem has been brought up repeatedly. I’ve always touched on fish, chicken, eggs, cabbage, and so on,” he said. “What tangible results have these initiatives yielded?”
Junz urged the government to provide a detailed, written breakdown of how the RM1 billion allocation is being spent across relevant departments. “We need a detailed breakdown of these budgets, given to us for each department in writing, so we know where they’re spending the money to control all this,” he emphasized, calling for greater transparency and accountability in managing public funds meant to ease the cost-of-living crisis.
Meanwhile, the Warisan assemblyman highlighted the ongoing water crisis in Sabah, which he said has escalated to an “unacceptable” level—forcing the state’s industrial sector to bear the burden of securing its own water supply.
“This is fundamentally unacceptable. Our industrial players—the backbone of our economy—are being forced to shoulder exorbitant costs because the state cannot provide a reliable basic utility,” Junz stressed. He recounted how a food production factory, in a desperate bid to cut costs, purchased its own 3-ton lorry and made seven trips daily from Penampang to transport water, incurring additional manpower and maintenance expenses.
Junz added that businesses across industrial parks—including those in Putatan and Lok Kawi—have been compelled to purchase water daily since August 2023. He cited one factory that needs 35,000 litres daily, and a laundry facility requiring 25,000 litres per day just to maintain operations.
He noted that the dire situation persists despite substantial allocations to the Sabah Water Department (JANS).
Junz expressed deep concern that this critical issue, which he first raised in the State Assembly two years ago, remains unresolved. “Even though we see hundreds of millions allocated to JANS this year alone, the problem still persists,” he said, implicitly questioning the effectiveness of the department’s operations and use of funds.
The assemblyman urged the government and JANS to take immediate and serious action to address the chronic water shortages plaguing not only industries but also residential areas. He pointed out that while recent reports claimed stable water supply in Kota Kinabalu and Putatan, many areas—including Putatan Platinum Apartment and Wisma Berjaya—suffered outages as recently as last night. He added that long-standing water woes at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) are only now being taken seriously, two years after initial complaints.
During the session, Junz also sought clarification from the State Finance Minister regarding an alleged “scam” involving a telecommunication infrastructure project in several Sabah districts, purportedly linked to a government-owned company (GOC) or YBS. He described a scheme in which contractors allegedly paid “consultation fees” after being given project details and drawings—only for the project itself to reportedly not exist. Junz said multiple contractors were affected, with some lodging police reports, and called for a thorough investigation into the claims of fraud.
