Dr Jeffrey Kitingan
KOTA KINABALU: A resolution to the long-standing 40 per cent special grant to Sabah is expected to be reached within the coming year, said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan.
He said the decision was made by the Technical Committee of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, which agreed to adopt this resolution.
Dr Jeffrey emphasised that resolving this issue, pending for the past 58 years, is crucial to ensuring that Sabah receives its rightful revenue rights entitlement.
Representing the Sabah Government in the MA63 Committee, Dr Jeffrey affirmed that the Federal Government, under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s leadership, has pledged to deliver on the outstanding constitutional rights.
“The people of Sabah have waited over half a century for this moment, and it is our obligation to ensure that the wait does not extend further,” he said in a statement today.
Dr Jeffrey acknowledged and appreciated the interim RM300 million special grant allocation from Putrajaya, but was quick to underline that this should only serve as a temporary solution.
“The interim allocation, though substantial, is only a part of what is rightfully due to Sabah. The RM300 million is indeed a positive step, but our ultimate goal is the actualisation of the 40 per cent net revenue issue,” he said.
The Keningau MP further said that it is unnecessary to devise a new formula for the special revenue rights grant.
He pointed out that the Federal Constitution already provides an explicit mechanism for this, as stated in Article 112D, 112C, and 112C(6), along with Para 24 of the IGC Report.
“The information or data necessary for these calculations can and should be provided by the Federal agencies such as the Finance Ministry and the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (LHDN). The framework is there, what we need now is the appropriate data,” he said.
He also suggested that Sarawak adopt the same formula as Sabah, instead of creating a separate one.
“I believe that such uniformity will not only bring consistency but also speed up the settlement process and prevent further delays,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr Jeffrey clarified that the acceptance of the RM300 million grant from the Federal Government should not be misconstrued as Sabah relinquishing its rights to the 40% net revenue.
On the contrary, he emphasised, it is a stopgap measure while the central issue continues to be pursued.
“The Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) Government remains committed to safeguarding the rights and interests of Sabah. The opposition’s allegations that GRS has caused Sabah to lose its rights to the 40 per cent are baseless and a continuous assault on our administration.
“We call upon all parties, especially the Federal Government, to cooperate and ensure that this matter is resolved within the stipulated time frame.
“It is in the best interest of the people of Sabah that we secure our rightful share of revenue, protecting the state’s autonomy, and continue developing our economy for the wellbeing of our citizens,” he said.
