KOTA KINABALU: Former Sabah Law Society (SLS) president Datuk Roger Chin (
pic) said that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s remarks on Sabah’s 40 per cent entitlement reflected a serious misunderstanding of the State’s constitutional rights.
He said the Federal Government must not confuse its duty to fund ordinary public services with its obligation to return Sabah’s share of federal revenue under the Constitution.
Chin reminded that the High Court’s ruling in October affirmed the 40 per cent entitlement as a constitutional right, not a negotiable gesture or discretionary payment.
He said federal expenditure on schools, hospitals, and roads cannot be counted as part of the 40 per cent repayment, urging Putrajaya to disclose how much was collected, deducted, and paid to Sabah.
He added that asking Sabahans to “come with facts and figures” was patronising when the Federal Government itself withholds the data, describing such remarks as dismissive of Sabah’s legitimate call for transparency.
