Sabah differs from Sarawak on revenue share issue, says Salleh

 Former Sabah chief minister Salleh Said Keruak says for Sarawak, this may be seen as negotiating a formula, but for Sabah, it is about carrying out a constitutional right.

Former Sabah chief minister Salleh Said Keruak said the revenue sharing is already clearly stated in the Federal Constitution and is linked to the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 A former Sabah chief minister has weighed in on the proposal by Sarawak premier Abang Johari Openg for the special grant allocated to the state to be determined based on a percentage of its revenue.

Salleh Said Keruak said the proposal is not relevant to Sabah, as the state government will maintain its constitutional rights on the issue of revenue sharing with the federal goverment.

“For Sarawak, this may be seen as a matter to be discussed and negotiated as a policy formula. However, for Sabah, it is about carrying out a constitutional right.

“Court decisions on this matter have already been made and should be respected and fully implemented,” he said in a Facebook post, alluding to the decision by the Kota Kinabalu High Court last October on Sabah’s claim to a 40% share of the net federal revenue derived from the state.

Salleh stressed that for Sabah, the issue of revenue sharing is not about introducing a new formula.

“It is already clearly stated in the Federal Constitution and is linked to the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63),” he said.

“This is not about asking for extra allocations or special treatment. It is about rights agreed upon when Malaysia was formed.”

He added that Sabah’s financial rights must be implemented according to the Constitution and the original agreement, and not be subject to changing political considerations. - FMT