KOTA KINABALU, Dec. 20 -- Sabah's development challenges stem from financial constraints rather than lack of political will, State Finance Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said.

He said the state faced mounting pressure to address basic needs such as water, electricity, and infrastructure, but that spending decisions had to be aligned with available resources to avoid financial instability.

"We know the real needs, both short-term and long term, but the scale of those needs is very large, and we are still far behind," he said.

He said the state had prioritised allocations to ministries directly responsible for basic services, with the Ministry of Works and Utilities among those receiving the highest funding due to its role in addressi...