Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) leaders met with the Chief Minister to show solidarity on the 40 per cent net revenue special grant matter at Seri Gaya today. (From left: LDP President Datuk Chin Su Phin, PBS Acting President Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam, Star President Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, PGRS President/GRS Chairman Datuk Seri Haji Hajiji Haji Noor, SAPP President Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee, Usno President Tan Sri Pandikar Amin and PGRS Deputy President Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun.
KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Government has categorically confirmed that it will never give up the fundamental constitutional rights of Sabah in relation to the 40 per cent Net Revenue special grant under Article 112C and 112D of the Federal Constitution.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Haji Hajiji Haji Noor said this fact is reinforced by the Prime Minister in his 2023 budget speech when he recognised and confirmed that the Federal Government is committed to improve the rate of the special grant compared to what was previously agreed and will expedite the negotiations to find a solution.
Hajiji explained that this critical issue is now under the purview of the MA63 Technical Committee chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister.
“We will continue to defend Sabah’s constitutional rights in relation to the existing revenue sharing formula and this must be respected by the Federal Government. This includes Sabah’s claim for the “lost years” where there has been no review conducted from 1974 until recently.
“For now, there is an interim arrangement – on a without prejudice basis – where Sabah receives much more than before pending further negotiations between the Sabah and Federal Governments to claim what is rightfully due to Sabah. In fact, pending the ongoing negotiations, the interim amounts have been increasing from RM125.6 million in 2022 and from the RM260 million announced in January 2023 to RM300 million in July 2023. Whilst this falls short of what is expected, we have been committed and consistent in seeking more from the Federal Government than ever before.
“In the meantime, let me be crystal clear, we respect the right of the Sabah Law Society to commence legal proceedings on this matter. We recognise the important role that public interest litigation has in promoting the rule of law towards the fair and equitable administration of justice.
“The Sabah Government sees the initiative by the SLS in a positive light that is not partisan and not political in the common furtherance of the constitutional arrangements when Sabah formed Malaysia in 1963. I do not want to pre-judge the outcome of the Court of Appeal but I share the same sentiment as the rakyat of Sabah and hope that any decision will be favourable to Sabah,” he said in a statement today, explaining the official position of the Sabah Government in relation to the Constitutional Right to claim the 40 per cent Net Revenue from the Federal Government.
Hajiji said he had already instructed the Sabah Attorney General to scrutinise and review the ongoing legal proceedings and if necessary, to correct any misguided statement that differs from Sabah’s clear and formal position.
“Notwithstanding the ongoing proceedings in the Court of Appeal – we maintain the official demand of the Sabah Governmentthat the Federal Government is legally and constitutionally obligated to compensate Sabah for what is lawfully due as a special grant, both historically and for the future. This Sabah’s right was negotiated prior to the formation of Malaysia and is enshrined in the Federal Constitution. It is the financial entitlement of Sabah. This stand is very much more than an aspiration.
“If there is no agreement or solution between the Sabah and Federal Governments on the special grant, we will move to activate the constitutional provision to appoint an independent assessor to determine this issue and decide what the Federal Government is obligated to pay to Sabah.
“I assure the rakyat of Sabah that we will not stop in our relentless pursuit of all Sabah’s rights due under the MA63 and the Federal Constitution.
“This is our uncompromising and absolute position,” he said.
