Dr Roland Chia
KOTA KINABALU: Political Secretary to the Chief Minister Datuk Dr Roland Chia has criticised Warisan Vice President Datuk Junz Wong for allegedly misleading the public by blaming the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) State Government over the phasing out of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) subsidies.
Dr Chia stressed that the decision to rationalise LPG subsidies falls entirely under the purview of the Federal Government and is not within the jurisdiction of the Sabah State administration.
“Junz Wong is barking up the wrong tree. The LPG subsidy policy is a Federal matter and has nothing to do with the GRS-led State Government. His criticism seems aimed at confusing the people of Sabah,” he said in a statement today.
He said the move to phase out LPG subsidies is part of the Federal Government’s broader subsidy rationalisation plan to save approximately RM12 billion annually.
“Subsidy policies are decided in Putrajaya, not in Kota Kinabalu. Warisan, as part of the Unity Government coalition at the Federal level, should raise the matter with their own partners in government. One of their own is even a Deputy Minister,” he added.
Dr Chia also took the opportunity to highlight what he described as the GRS Government’s economic successes since taking over from Warisan.
“During Warisan’s tenure, the annual Federal special grant to Sabah was just RM53 million. Under GRS, this amount has been increased to RM600 million annually, a clear indication of stronger cooperation and better fiscal support from the Federal Government,” he said.
He said the GRS Government has used part of this allocation to fund impactful programmes such as the Rumah Mesra SMJ initiative, which provides affordable housing for the needy in B40 groups regardless of race or religion.
In addition, he said GRS has introduced a one-off RM5,000 grant to licensed street hawkers under the 2025 Sabah Budget to help ease their financial burden. Another welfare programme launched is the Sentuhan Kasih Rakyat, which provides RM300 monthly aid to hardcore poor households for one year.
Dr Chia questioned the achievements of the Warisan government during its 22 months in power and called on Wong to reflect on that period rather than attacking the current state administration for matters beyond its control.
“Instead of making baseless claims for cheap publicity, Warisan leaders should remember their own track record. The people of Sabah deserve constructive discourse, not political distractions,” he said.
