Sabah to Prioritise Urgent Development Projects

Sabah receives RM6.59 billion under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), for 1,233 projects or programmes. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor said that urgent projects – and especially infrastructures for schools and hospitals - will be prioritised.

“We must monitor the projects more frequently so that, if we face issues involving funding, land matters and utilities, we can immediately seek solutions," Hajiji said when chairing the State Development Action Council (Majlis Tindakan Pembangunan Negeri or MTPN) meeting on 13 April 2026 at Menara Kinabalu.

“At the Kota Kinabalu District Development Meeting on March 15, 2026, we have emphasised the immediate implementation of small-scale “low-hanging fruit” projects that can deliver quick impact to the people. These small projects must be implemented efficiently, swiftly, and within the time span specified. Any delay issues must be brought up quickly. We take this matter seriously as delays in project completion will lead to increased costs and losses to the Government.”

Sabah allocated a record-high budget of RM12.02 billion for 2026 and, a significant portion of the allocation has been channeled into basic infrastructure projects (water, electricity and roads). In 2026, the State Government launched the Sabah Maju Jaya development plan - SMJ 2.0 (2026–2030) - which places poverty eradication as a key pillar. Hajiji said that the Hardcore Poverty Eradication Programme for Sabah 2026 is an aggressive continuation of the SMJ agenda. SMJ 2.0 focuses on three main economic sectors, namely, Agriculture, Industry and Tourism.