SALMAN NURILLAH…hopes the 40% revenue demand will be settled soon.
KOTA KINABALU : – The Unity Federal Government, led by Malaysia’s 10th Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, has been in power for over one year and eight months.
Is it accurate to say that Anwar has not contributed to the welfare of the people in Sabah during this time?
Apart from the ongoing negotiations regarding the 40 percent of federal revenues for Sabah, as outlined in Article 112C of the Federal Constitution, the Prime Minister has made significant strides in supporting the people of Sabah.
Recently, the appointment of two secretaries-general from Sabah marked a historic milestone for the state since it joined Malaysia in 1963.
The new appointees are Datuk Awang Alik Jeman, Secretary General of the Ministry of Home Affairs (KDN), from Kota Belud, who takes over from Datuk Ruji Ubi, also a local from Tawau, who will now serve in the Ministry of Education.
Social activist Salman Nurillah called this a historic achievement for Sabah.
In a statement Thursday the activist said : –
“In my memory, there hasn’t been a Secretary General from Sabah for over 50 years until the appointment of the now-retired Datuk Mohammaf Mentek as Secretary General of the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia, followed by Datuk Ruji Ubi and now Datuk Awang Alik—all appointed during Anwar’s time as Prime Minister.
“As a Sabahan, we should appreciate the PMX for courageously implementing new reforms that reflect the spirit of MA63,” he said.
Salman also noted that one of the positive announcements from the Prime Minister for Sabah was the increase in the 2024 budget allocation for state development to RM6.6 billion.
Additionally, the Federal Unity Government has empowered technical agencies in the two states to manage development projects valued under RM50 million to enhance project implementation efficiency.
Salman also mentioned that the Unity Government has raised the interim special grant for Sabah to RM300 million, up from RM125.6 million previously.
This amount does not cover the transfer of SESB to the Sabah government, which includes RM40 million for improving infrastructure and facilities, particularly the staff quarters for the Sabah East Coast Special Security Area (ESSCom) in Lahad Datu, and RM320 million to address short-term water supply issues in Sabah.
Furthermore, Salman stated that the Prime Minister has assigned Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof to address the outstanding issues related to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63). While these issues have not been fully resolved yet, efforts are ongoing to achieve the goals set by the Unity Federal government.
For record, the Sabah Government submitted its request for 40 percent claims on June 18, 2024.
Salman believes the prime minister can do great things for Sabah, meeting the hopes of over three million residents
