Malaysia Budget 2027: Will record allocations satisfy Sabah and Sarawak?

Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the hottest political and trending talking points in Malaysia.For our October episode, ST’s Malaysia bureau chief Shannon Teoh and host Zurairi A.R. are joined by Dr Arnold Puyok, deputy director at the Institute of Borneo Studies at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak and visiting fellow at the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute.Highlights (click/tap above):03:50: Budget 2027 allocations for Sabah and Sarawak and whether funds bridge development gaps08:20: Changing expectations in Sarawak: Moving from federal funding amounts to financial autonomy and decision-making13:25: Political calculus of Budget 2027: Securing the Borneo vote bloc ahead of general elections21:30: Sarawak’s regional assertiveness, and the question of effective autonomy amid secession call30:30: Federal establishment and Putrajaya’s uneasy dynamic with East Malaysian resource push34:10: Personalistic politics in Borneo: Why individual leadership matters more than party brands38:50: News nugget: Syed Saddiq and Bella Astillah’s viral future-focused betrothal giftsRead more:In the final lap, Malaysia’s PM Anwar returns to base with reformist budget: https://str.sg/EpEu From colonial-era crests to its own airline, a founding partner redraws its place in Malaysia: https://str.sg/dDuM Malaysian politician Syed Saddiq and singer-actress Bella Astillah tie the knot: https://str.sg/AUTNRead Zurairi A.R.’s articles: https://str.sg/DCfr Read Shannon Teoh’s articles: https://str.sg/wzyK Sign up for ST’s weekly Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/sfpz Host: Zurairi A.R. (zurairi@sph.com.sg) Produced and edited by: Fa’izah SaniExecutive producer: Ernest LuisFollow Asian Insider Podcast on Fridays here:Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7 Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8 Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg---Follow more ST podcast channels:All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts---Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:The App Store: https://str.sg/icyBGoogle Play: https://str.sg/icyX