KOTA KINABALU: The warm ties between Sabah and Putrajaya have greatly benefited the state particularly in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic, says Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor (pic).

       The Chief Minister said the strong relationship was even more vital as Sabah aimed to intensify efforts to recover its economy and improve the people’s livelihood in the post pandemic era.

       “The Federal Government has been receptive to Sabah’s needs through its commitments under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) to enhance Sabah’s development.

       “In the spirit of the Keluarga Malaysia and Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) state development road map, greater state-federal collaboration can strengthen relations and forge understanding to drive the recovery and development of the state and improve the livelihoods of Sabahans,” he said in a recorded message at the launch of the 26th edition of the Malaysia Economic Monitorby the World Bank here on Thursday (June 16).

       Hajiji said good ties enjoyed between Sabah and Putrajaya have led to much progress, most recently through the additional increase of the Special Grant to the state from RM26.7mil to RM125.6mil.

       “This additional fund will be used to build 1,500 'Rumah Mesra' under the SMJ road map in all 73 state constituencies.

       “During the Keluarga Malaysia Aspiration road tour, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob echoed support for Sabah through several government policies to help the people of Sabah through social and economic development.

       “This includes federal support for the construction of the Pan Borneo Highway, repairing and rebuilding schools in rural areas, and implementation of phase one of the hardcore poverty eradication programme in 10 localities in Sabah,” he said.

       Hajiji said, however, that Sabah’s economy remained resilient despite the challenges caused by the pandemic.

       “The state’s economy is on the right track and seeing signs of recovery. Under the implementation of the SMJ development plan, Sabah recorded RM5.449bil in revenue in 2021, the highest ever.

       “In the first half of 2021, Sabah attracted RM4.4bil in foreign investments, the third highest after Kedah and Selangor.

       “These key investments in manufacturing, tourism and agriculture are expected to create almost 10,000 jobs,” he said, adding tourism activities were also expected to pick up tremendously following the reopening of Malaysia’s borders last April 1.