KUCHING: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's suggestion for Sarawak to assist more underdeveloped Malaysian states is outright unreasonable, Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg said.
While Sarawak is grateful to have achieved high-income status, Abang Johari said this is still insufficient as the state government's focus is now on increasing household income.
Abang Johari added that the former prime minister should not compare Sarawak with other states, especially Kedah, which is much smaller in size, as there is still much work to be done by the Sarawak Government to improve the living standards of its people.
"I actually don't want to comment on that (Dr Mahathir's suggestion). I was even shocked after learning about the suggestion.
"Sarawak is just a state in Malaysia, not a federation to assist other states," he told reporters after launching the Sarawak Sustainability Blueprint Conference here today.
Present were Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian and State Transport Minister Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin.
Abang Johari was asked to comment on Dr Mahathir's statement to FMT that Sarawak should help more underdeveloped states in the country since it has now achieved high-income status.
In the report, Dr Mahathir compared the state budgets of Sarawak and Kedah, adding that richer states must share their wealth with poorer ones.
Abang Johari cited a proverb 'charity begins at home', which he said, has become a guiding principle for the state government to improve the lives of the people of Sarawak.
"It is true that Sarawak has achieved high-income status, but there are still many needs of our people, especially in the villages, that have not been addressed.
"There are many responsibilities that the Sarawak government has to shoulder on its own, such as upgrading or rebuilding old schools, for which we prioritise the allocation to implement these projects," he said.
Abang Johari added that Dr Mahathir should have directed his suggestion to the federal government to focus on efforts to assist states in the poverty category, rather than asking one state to help another.
"The federal government profits greatly from oil... All the profits, dividends, and royalties go to the federal government.
"Sarawak only receives revenue from the sales tax (sales tax on petroleum products).
"However, we manage our economy well, which is why we are able to achieve high-income status. So, it is up to the other states to manage their economies and work harder," he said.