Sabah’s 40% revenue return must go through assembly, says Salleh

Former chief minister says any final decision should be tabled, debated and endorsed by the state’s elected representatives as the matter concerns Sabah's constitutional rights.

Former Sabah chief minister Salleh Said Keruak said that the negotiation process for the return of the state’s revenue must have a clear timeframe. (Wikipedia pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 The return of 40% of revenue derived from Sabah must be carried out in a transparent manner, with the final decision tabled and debated in the state assembly, says former chief minister Salleh Said Keruak.

Salleh said any final decision should be tabled, debated and endorsed by the state’s elected representatives as the matter concerned Sabah’s constitutional rights.

He also said that the negotiation process must be guided by a clear timeframe to avoid being seen as a delay tactic or an attempt to placate public sentiment.

“In conclusion, the implementation of Sabah’s 40% entitlement must follow a transparent, time-bound constitutional process that delivers a fair, credible and final outcome,” he said in a Facebook post.

Salleh, the state Umno treasurer, said the Sabah Law Society (SLS) should also be included in the negotiation process, given that it had been directly involved in pursuing the matter through the courts.

“Negotiations should not be confined solely to administrative channels such as the chief secretary and the state secretary,” Salleh added.

Former SLS president Roger Chin was made a nominated assemblyman following the Nov 29 state election.

The Kota Kinabalu High Court ruled in October that Putrajaya had acted unlawfully by failing to honour Sabah’s 40% share of federal revenue for nearly five decades.

SLS filed for a judicial review in 2022, claiming that the federal government had breached the Federal Constitution by failing to conduct a mandatory revenue review every five years since 1974.

The Attorney-General’s Chambers filed a notice of appeal against several “mistakes” in the High Court’s grounds of judgment, including the allegation that the federal and state governments had abused their power and violated their constitutional obligations.

Yesterday, chief minister Hajiji Noor said Sabah and federal government representatives were expected to meet on Friday to discuss the return of the 40% revenue.

Hajiji said there was therefore no need to discuss the matter in the state assembly.

He also called for patience, especially concerning the formula and mechanism to be adopted when disbursing the funds, as well as other issues enshrined under the Malaysia Agreement 1963. - FMT