Kota Kinabalu: Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star) reiterated that the Federal Government must immediately comply with the High Court order to return 40 per cent of Sabah’s revenue collected by the Federal Government, in line with the State’s constitutional entitlement.
Star President Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan said the High Court ruling, including the stipulated timeframe, is mandatory and not subject to delay or discretion.
“The 40 per cent entitlement is Sabah’s constitutional right. It is not a political concession, not a development allocation and not something that can be delayed, reduced or reinterpreted at the convenience of the Federal Government,” he said.
Jeffrey, also Keningau MP, said following the expiry of the 90-day review period ordered by the court, the constitutional entitlement should have been fully implemented.
He noted that procedural meetings or discussions without substantive outcomes cannot be regarded as compliance with the Federal Constitution or the court order.
“Assertions that the matter is on the Federal Cabinet’s agenda are insufficient without transparency on the total revenue derived from Sabah, the calculation methodology and a clear implementation mechanism bound by a specific timeline,” he said.
The Tambunan Assemblyman further emphasised that Federal Government spending in Sabah on education, healthcare and security represents its basic responsibilities to all states and cannot be used as justification to deny or offset Sabah’s constitutional rights.
He said Sabah has waited far too long, and any further delay would only strengthen public perception that the State’s 40 per cent entitlement continues to be sidelined due to political considerations.
“Sabah is not asking for charity. Sabah is demanding what rightfully belongs to it under the Federal Constitution and what the court has ordered to be implemented,” he said.
Jeffrey urged the Federal Government to move beyond rhetoric and take immediate, concrete action by fulfilling its constitutional obligations honestly, transparently and responsibly, in full compliance with the court order.
