Azhar questions Sabah Budget 2026 growth claims, says rural reality tells different story
by The Borneo Post · Borneo Post OnlineKOTA KINABALU (Dec 15): Darau assemblyman Azhar Matussin said projected economic growth under the Sabah Budget 2026 does not reflect the realities faced by many Sabahans, especially those in rural and coastal communities.
Azhar questioned the relevance of growth projections of about two per cent if basic issues affecting daily life remain unresolved.
He said the focus should not be on headline figures alone but on whether development is truly reaching the people on the ground.
Azhar also challenged claims that hardcore poverty has been eradicated in Sabah, saying such assertions do not align with the situation faced by many families.
He pointed to continued problems such as dilapidated homes, children studying in poor school facilities, and communities that still lack reliable access to clean water and electricity.
“If hardcore poverty has truly ended, why are there still families living in unsafe houses and villages without proper infrastructure.
“Development policies must be measured by lived realities rather than official declarations,” he said when debating the budget at the state assembly here Monday.
He stressed that the budget would only be meaningful if public spending delivers real and measurable improvements to the lives of ordinary Sabahans, particularly those in rural areas and among the B40 group.
He said his debate focused on three key mechanisms aimed at closing the gap between policy and reality, namely aligning development planning with on the ground needs, reducing leakages in public spending and ensuring economic growth is directly felt by the people.
Azhar said every ringgit allocated must be carefully monitored to ensure it produces tangible outcomes, warning that impressive figures alone will not bring change if implementation is weak.
“The people are not asking for grand figures or glossy plans. They are asking for clean water, safe homes, proper roads and real job opportunities.
“A budget is successful only when it is felt in the daily lives of the people,” he said.