KOTA KINABALU, Oct 21 — Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman today lauded the 2017 Budget for ensuring Malaysians do not feel the pinch in the economic slowdown amid rising costs.

Musa said that the federal budget was proof of the government’s high commitment to the country’s economic growth in an uncertain global economic environment.

"The state is grateful to the prime minister for continuing to focus on the state development and the wellbeing of Sabahans through the allocations in the budget,” he said in a press conference after watching the live telecast of the Budget presentation in Parliament.

He highlighted the funds allocated to the rural transformation programme in Sabah, the Pan Borneo highway, native customary rights, upgrading of roads, public basic infrastructure and the announcement of a new power generator station in Sandakan to solve power woes in the east coast of Sabah.

"We are optimistic that the moves and initiatives taken by the government will be able to ensure the country’s economic foundation is sustainable and on the right track, as well as looks (sic) after the people’s interests,” he said.

Earlier, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced that Budget 2017 proposed to upgrade roads and street lamps in the state, with RM20 million for native customary land mapping and RM323 million to upgrade the Eastern Sabah Security Command with new vessels and a sea basing facility.