Kota Kinabalu: State Finance Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said a proposal by opposition lawmakers to be included in a bipartisan committee on the 40pc issue to strengthen the state’s negotiating position will be referred to the State Cabinet for consideration.
He said discussions with the federal government were currently being conducted on a government-to-government basis in line with the Kota Kinabalu High Court ruling.
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The call was raised by several opposition (Warisan) assemblymen, including Likas assemblyman Tham Yun Fook and Usukan assemblyman Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis, who said cross-party involvement would present a united front and strengthen Sabah’s position in the talks.
“There is no longer a need for prolonged negotiations, as it now comes down to the amount to be paid. I agree with that. However, we hope the negotiations can involve a committee that also includes us from the opposition, to show the federal government that we are united and speaking with one voice in this claim,” Tham said.
Usukan assemblyman Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis, concurring, said the opposition would then be in the know on what was being negotiated and could reach a collective agreement.
She suggested the committee be formed immediately as the issue was not about opposition politics but about Sabah as a whole.
Earlier, he said the state government had conveyed its position directly to federal leaders, including a request that no appeal be pursued against the Kota Kinabalu High Court ruling.
“I accompanied Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor to meet Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim before the state election to hand in our request not to appeal,” he said.
Tamparuli Assemblyman Datuk Madius Tangau earlier urged the State Government to insist that the appeal it planned against parts of the ruling be dropped as a condition for the negotiations (see page 3 report).
“If we keep questioning each other’s sincerity here, that will only be exploited by others,” Masidi said, urging assemblymen to remain united on an issue involving Sabah’s rights.
Concerns were also raised in the House over whether implementation of the ruling could still be delayed through procedural means, including the possibility of a stay of execution.
Addressing this, Masidi said there was no indication that the federal government was seeking to suspend or halt implementation of the court order.
Masidi stressed that the court decision itself was final and could not be renegotiated, with discussions now limited strictly to determining the amount and the method of payment.
“You cannot negotiate a court decision,” he said, adding that both governments were bound to resolve the matter within the timeframe set by the court.
Paginatan Assemblyman Datuk Rusdin Musidi Riman questioned whether Sabah should include a specific receivable amount in its financial planning to reflect the revenue it believes it is entitled to receive.
Masidi, however, cautioned against placing unverified figures into the state’s accounts, saying financial planning must be based on confirmed and realistic revenue.
“In finance, we must be specific about how much money we actually have. We cannot simply pluck a figure from the sky and plan spending based on that,” he said, warning that premature assumptions could disrupt development planning if the funds do not materialise as expected.
On calls by Tamparuli assemblyman Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau for additional technical expertise in negotiations, Masidi said Sabah had already engaged experts and obtained professional advice during the earlier stages, and had identified the tax components it believes the state is entitled to receive.
Masidi added that if consensus could not be reached between the state and federal governments on the amount or method of payment, an independent assessor could be appointed as a way forward.
Separately, Nominated Assemblyman Datuk Roger Chin proposed a motion for a constitutional amendment to allow Sabah to directly collect the revenue, place it into a consolidated fund, remit 60pc to the federal government and retain the remaining 40pc, as a long-term solution to avoid similar disputes in the future.
“It is a straightforward amendment, but the House must pass the motion and decide how to proceed. At the very least, it would show how serious we are about resolving this so the question of ‘how much is owed’ does not keep resurfacing,” Chin said.
In October, the Kota Kinabalu High Court ruled that Sabah is constitutionally entitled to 40% of net revenue derived from the state, directing both governments to conduct a 90-day review to determine the amount payable, followed by a 180-day period to finalise implementation.
