Sarawak ups ceiling of Mid-Term Review of 12MP from RM30b to RM38b, says premier
SIBU, Aug 7 — The state government has raised the ceiling of Sarawak’s 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) Mid-Term Review from RM30 billion to RM38 billion due to the increase in the state’s revenue collection of RM11.9 billion last year, Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg said today.
He said raising the ceiling is to accelerate the infrastructure development throughout the state to facilitate inclusive socio-economic development.
“Through a series of targeted high impact development programmes, we aim to foster a society where no one is left behind and opportunities are accessible to all,” he told reporters after chairing the State Development Coordination Committee (SDMCC) here.
He said the Sarawak government will also invest in human capital development to ensure the people are equipped with the right skills to increase their average household income to RM15,000 per month by 2030.
The premier said the state government had earmarked RM60 billion to implement the 12MP projects in line with the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030), over and above the projects allocated by the federal for the state.
Abang Johari noted that the household income and expenditure survey released by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) stated that the total monthly household income in Sarawak experienced an upward trend, reaching RM3.9 billion in 2022, compared to RM3.7 billion in 2019, indicating an increase of 5.4 per cent from 2019 to 2022.
“Over the three-year period in Sarawak, the mean monthly household income witnessed growth, rising from RM5,959 in 2019 to RM6,457 in 2022, representing an 8.4 per cent increase compared to 2019,” he said.
He added concurrently, the median monthly household income also experienced significant progress, reaching RM4,978 in 2022, compared to RM4,544 in 2019, signifying a notable increase of 9.6 per cent.
“Additionally in 2022, the monthly mean household gross income in Sarawak in the urban area increased to RM7,744 from RM7,243 in 2019, indicating a percentage change of 6.9 per cent,” he said, adding that the monthly mean household gross Income in the rural areas reached RM4,579 in 2022, compared to RM4,218 in 2019, showing a percentage change of 8.6 per cent.
He said the statistic highlights a positive growth trend in mean monthly household incomes for both urban and rural areas in Sarawak, adding that particularly, the rural areas experienced slightly higher increases in household gross incomes, showcasing the Sarawak government's efforts in ensuring balanced development and inclusive growth throughout the state.
He said the state government is aiming to increase the average household income from RM4,544 in 2019 to RM15,000 per month as Sarawak moves toward becoming a developed state by 2030.
“In fact, I believe we are currently on the right track,” he said.
