Kota Kinabalu: Sabah’s 40 per cent revenue entitlement is a constitutional right, not a federal handout, a state assemblyman said, warning that delays in securing it are worsening hardship on the ground.
Sungai Sibuga Assemblyman Lisa Hassan Alban said the issue must be treated as a legal obligation owed to the state, not a matter open to negotiation.
“This is not a grant. This is not a federal handout. This is a constitutional debt legally owed to the people of Sabah,” she said.
She questioned why the matter remained unresolved despite earlier assurances that key Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) issues would be settled within three years.
“It is now April 2026. Six years have passed. Why is the MA63 dashboard still stuck?” she asked.
Lisa also raised concerns over what she described as repeated deviations from the original 40pc revenue formula, warning against any attempt to “reset” or dilute the entitlement.
“Are we going to allow another historical erasure of what is owed to our parents and our children?” she said.
She criticised what she viewed as the State Government’s passive stance, questioning why Sabah continued to accept fixed grants instead of asserting its full entitlement.
“When this government should be collecting what is rightfully ours, why is this Dewan not using its power?” she said.
Lisa said the failure to secure the revenue has had direct consequences on the ground, particularly in infrastructure and basic services.
“Our Shared Growth Revenue is not an abstract legal issue; it is the exact reason why our infrastructure is collapsing,” she said.
She cited ongoing water shortages, poor road conditions and traffic congestion in Sungai Sibuga as examples of the impact on daily life.
“The rakyat do not care about what is being said here when their taps run dry,” she said.
She described the water situation in areas such as Kg Tinusa 2, Khong Lok and PPR Batu Putih as a daily struggle, with residents forced to wake up early to collect water.
“Mothers are waking up at 3am just to collect a few buckets of water. Why is basic human necessity still an impossible luxury in 2026?” she said.
Lisa also warned of serious safety risks in densely populated areas like Kg Tinusa 2, citing narrow roads, weak bridges and poor water pressure that could hamper emergency response.
“God forbid if a fire breaks out. How will fire engines enter when access is so limited?” she said, referring to the recent blaze in Kg Bahagia.
She added that traffic congestion in areas such as Taman Airport and Taman Merpati has further affected productivity, describing it as a “hidden tax” on the local economy.
Beyond infrastructure, Lisa questioned the emphasis on digitalisation when basic services remain unresolved.
“What is the point of talking about digital agendas when we have not even mastered basic water connectivity?” she said.
She urged the state government to take a firmer stance in asserting Sabah’s rights, including invoking constitutional provisions to resolve disputes over revenue entitlement.
“If we fail to act now, we are putting a ‘stay’ on the future of Sabah,” she said.
