The Sabah state government has received RM1.87 billion in dividends from 20 state government-linked companies (GLCs) for the past five years, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman.

Musa, who is also state Finance Minister, said this showed that the GLCs had managed to do well to record profits and pay dividends to the state government.

"The government will continue to give priority to further enhance the GLCs' performances, including hiring skilled and knowledgeable staff, to ensure their performances are improved," he said.

The Chief Minister said this in reply to a supplementary question from Limus Jury (BN-Kuala Penyu) at the Sabah State Legislative Assembly here today.

Limus wanted to know what assistance the state government has offered the companies which had yet to achieve the desired results.

Musa said the state government has agreed that the GLCs' corporate governance be implemented in a transparent manner even though most of them had performed well.

Earlier, state Assistant Finance Minister, Datuk Ramlee Marahaban, said the state government received RM286 million in dividends from state GLCs last year.

-- BERNAMA