Kota Kinabalu: The Borneo Plight in Malaysia Foundation (BoPiMaFo) disputes Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s suggestion that the court ruling on Sabah’s 40pc revenue entitlement invites misleading interpretations.
“Anwar’s parliamentary remarks mischaracterised the Kota Kinabalu High Court’s judgement, which affirmed Sabah’s constitutional right to 40 per cent of net federal revenue collected from the State,” said BoPiMaFo President Daniel John Jambun in a statement.
“The Prime Minister’s comment risks confusing the public. The court’s decision was not about development assistance or Federal contributions but about restoring constitutional compliance that has been ignored for over five decades,” Daniel said.
He said development spending by Putrajaya is discretionary and political, whereas the 40 per cent entitlement under Articles 112C and 112D of the Federal Constitution is mandatory, part of the original financial arrangements under the 1963 Malaysia Agreement (MA63).
“For far too long, successive federal administrations, including the present one, have failed to carry out the periodic financial reviews required every five years.
“The High Court ruling merely directs Putrajaya to fulfil this long-neglected legal obligation,” he said.
Daniel said any misleading interpretation came not from the court but from those framing Sabah’s constitutional rights as Federal generosity.
“The 40 per cent entitlement is not a grant, not a subsidy and not a favour. It is a right enshrined in Malaysia’s founding constitution, part of the solemn bargain that persuaded Sabah to join the Federation.
“As the head of a government that professes to uphold reform and justice, Anwar must ensure that Malaysia honours both the letter and spirit of MA63, not reinterpret them for political convenience,” he said.
He urged the Prime Minister and Cabinet to accept the judgment in good faith and comply fully with the directive to conduct a joint financial review with the Sabah government.
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