KUALA LUMPUR: The success of the 2027 Budget depends on closer cooperation between the federal and state governments, with states given greater flexibility to determine their development priorities, said Bachok member of parliament Mohd Syahir Sulaiman.
Speaking during the 2027 Budget debate in the Dewan Rakyat today, he called for a fixed revenue-sharing formula that recognised states' contributions and faster implementation of federal projects, particularly in rural areas.
Citing his constituency as an example, he said a hospital project in Bachok had received four or five extensions of time (EOTs), while delays to other federal projects had driven up costs and affected the public.
He also called for greater flexibility for states to attract investment and create job opportunities for graduates and young people, reducing the need for them to migrate to cities.
"Give more flexible space to the states to attract investments to create job opportunities for graduates and youths, so they do not have to migrate to the cities," he said.
Syahir said demands concerning petroleum, taxation and development allocations should be resolved fairly, particularly those involving Sabah, Sarawak, Kelantan and Terengganu.
He also called for stronger monitoring, auditing and accountability to ensure public spending benefited the people, with economic growth translating into higher incomes, fairer wealth distribution and prudent management of public funds.
Referring to the National Pact (Wa'ad Nasional), a term introduced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim during his 2027 Budget speech, Syahir said agreements between the federal and state governments must be honoured and disputes resolved through dialogue.
"As the term goes, covenants. Agreements must be obeyed, and through every difference and dispute, they should be resolved through dialogue and balanced federal-state negotiations," he said.
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