Sabah has own ways to claim its rights, says CM

Musa Aman says the “making noise” approach or publicity stunts might not work.

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Government has its own ways, which have proven to work, in claiming its rights from the Federal Government as provided for in the Federal Constitution, said Chief Minister Musa Aman.

He said what was important now was that the way the state government had approached the matter all this while had borne fruit, compared with the “making noise” approach or publicity stunts that might not work.

“When we act on something, we don’t have to tell the whole world how we do it.

“We find that it is better to discuss when proposing something,” said Musa, who was responding to a question by Wilfred M. Bumburing (Independent-Tamparuli) during the Sabah Legislative Assembly here today.

Citing an example, Musa said the state managed to obtain 30% equity in on-shore oil exploration in Sabah through its negotiations with the Federal Government and oil companies.

“From zero (stake), we now own 30% equity regarding on-shore exploration. This has never happened before. This is what I mean by no need to make noise.”

Meanwhile, the state assembly was also told that main and technical committees were set up to review devolution of powers for the Sabah and Sarawak governments.

In responding to a question by Wilfred, Sabah’s Special Functions Minister Teo Chee Kang said both the national-level main committees would be jointly led by Foreign Minister Anifah Aman (for Sabah) and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nancy Shukri (for Sarawak).

He also said Anifah would lead the technical committee for Sabah.

Among the things to be discussed were to allow officers for Federal Government agencies in Sabah to make their own decisions without referring to Putrajaya and to give a bigger role to the state governments to decide its own projects, especially concerning location and priorities, he said.

The committee will also discuss holding interviews for civil service positions to be held in rural areas; reducing the public prosecutor’s powers under the Criminal Procedure Code to the State Attorney to prosecute offences under any ordinance or state enactment; and to allow Sabah and Sarawak to approve and to issue deep sea fishing permits, he said.