KOTA KINABALU: The increased RM300 million in special grant from the Federal Government is another clear indication that the State Government is on the right path
towards getting Sabah’s entitlement as stipulated in Article 112D of the Federal Constitution.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said Sabah welcomed the decision of the 1963 Malaysia Agreement (MA63) technical committee as announced by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof on Tuesday.
“Rest assured that we will not rest until Sabah gets what is owed to her as enshrined in
the MA63,” he said in a statement here today.
The Chief Minister reiterated the State Government’s stand that Sabah has never
relinquished rights to the 40 per cent revenue.
“This is an interim solution and as mentioned by Fadillah, negotiations are still on going
with a separate committee to determine and finalise the formula for the annual special
grants for the two Bornean states within a year,” he said.
Sabah would continue to fight for the special grant entitlement according to Article 112C
and Section 2 of Part IV in the Tenth Schedule, as well as Article 112D of the federal
constitution, which provides for a formula and review of the 40 per cent net revenue
entitlement that the federation derives from the state, said Hajiji.
After chairing the MA63 technical committee meeting yesterday, Fadillah said that
Sabah and Sarawak would receive RM300 million in special grant from the federal
government this year.
The RM300 million grant is a RM40 million increase for Sabah following the previous
RM260 million grant Putrajaya announced for the state in January, which would be paid
as soon as possible, said Fadillah, who is also chairman of the MA63 committee.