Kota Kinabalu, Wednesday, 8 April 2026:
Chin Vui Kai, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Information Chief, today issued a statement reiterating the party’s categorical opposition to any proposal to adjust the current diesel price of RM 2.15 per litre, until Sabah’s infrastructure and energy packages are on par with those in West Malaysia.
As a major oil-and-gas producing region of the country, Sabahans are entitled to enjoy the corresponding energy dividends. After West Malaysia enjoyed the developmental benefits reaped from the oil and gas sector for 62 years, Sabahans are now being forced to share the federal government’s fiscal burden, is unfair.
The energy dependency structure of Sabah is fundamentally different from that of the Peninsula. West Malaysia has electric rail systems as an alternative buffer, whereas Sabah’s land transport and logistics are 100 per cent dependent on diesel. Furthermore, many interior areas of Sabah rely heavily on diesel generators due to unstable grid coverage. A diesel price hike would raise electricity generation costs, delivering a double blow to livelihoods and businesses.
If the federal government wishes to implement unified fuel pricing, it must first establish equivalent infrastructure in Sabah, including electrified rail transport that does not rely on diesel, and ensure stable grid coverage to reduce the people’s dependence on diesel. At the same time, the federal government must eliminate the price disparity between East and West Malaysia, and share the burden of Sabah’s high housing prices and inadequate infrastructure packages.
Chin stressed that the diesel price of RM 2.15 per litre is a basic subsidy that the federal government must maintain until it repays its debt for Sabah’s inadequate infrastructure.
Chin Vui Kai
Information Chief,
Sabah Progressive Party