KOTA KINABALU: The High Court’s directive to review Sabah’s constitutional entitlement to 40 per cent of net revenue under Article 112D carries binding legal consequences and must be treated with the seriousness it demands, said Sabah Law Society (SLS) president Datuk Mohamed Nazim Maduarin (
pic) on Wednesday.
He said compliance requires more than the formal start of a process, stressing that the court envisaged a genuine and substantive review conducted within the purpose and timelines it set.
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Nazim said episodic or preliminary engagement would not satisfy the constitutional duty recognised by the judgment, which calls for sustained and purposeful engagement between the Federal and Sabah Governments.
He emphasised that a High Court judgment is binding and not subject to political preference or convenience, with the stipulated timelines forming an integral part of the administration of justice.
According to him, the review has now reached a stage where substantive engagement is no longer optional but constitutionally required within a defined timeframe.
He said the court’s direction marks a point where Sabah’s history, contribution and constitutional rights must be given concrete legal effect through law and process.
Nazim warned that any approach falling short of timely and substantive engagement risks undermining both the judgment and public confidence in the rule of law, particularly where the welfare of the state and its people is concerned.
