Nizam: Sabah will firmly not give up rights
Published on: Tuesday, May 21, 2024
Nizam (left) reiterated Hajiji’s (right) explanation on the Sabah Government’s position regarding the Sabah Law Society (SLS) judicial review appeal against the claim of 40 per cent of the net revenue under Article 112C and 112D of the Federal Constitution.
Kota Kinabalu: Alleging that the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) led State Government has failed to protect the State’s interests because it interfered with a court proceeding is a superficial and baseless allegation, said Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) Information Chief Datuk Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan.
Nizam reiterated Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor’s explanation on the Sabah Government’s position regarding the Sabah Law Society (SLS) judicial review appeal against the claim of 40 per cent of the net revenue under Article 112C and 112D of the Federal Constitution.
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“The Sabah Government will firmly not give up or compromise matters related to the rights of Sabah.
“Sabah’s fundamental rights have been guaranteed by the Federal Constitution. The Prime Minister through his 2023 Budget speech has guaranteed that the Federal Government is committed to increasing the rate of special grants compared to what was previously agreed, and will speed up the negotiation process to find a solution.
“The issue of the 40 per cent claim has been discussed and is being refined in the Technical Committee of the Action Council for the Implementation of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) chaired by Deputy Prime Minister II Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.
“Through this negotiation, the Sabah Government continues to defend the constitutional rights related to the revenue sharing formula enshrined under the Federal Constitution, including the claims during the lost years, that is from 1974 until now,” he said in a statement.
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Nizam said so far, there has been an interim solution - without prejudice - which has seen Sabah receive a larger amount of special grants than before, pending further negotiations between the two parties.
Pending ongoing negotiations, the total interim settlement for special grants increased from RM125.6 million in 2022 to RM260 million announced in January 2023, to RM300 million in July 2023.
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“Although this interim settlement is less than what was expected, the Sabah Government continues to be committed and consistent in demanding to obtain a higher value of the special grant than the amount that has been given for now,” he said.
Nizam stressed that the Sabah Government’s stance on the judicial review does not relax or change its commitment to claim Sabah’s rights in accordance with Article 112C and 112D of the Federal Constitution.
“The Sabah Government respects the right of the SLS to initiate court proceedings regarding the 40 per cent claim and recognises the important role of public interest litigation in establishing the rule of law towards fair and equitable administration.
“In the event of any facts or arguments during the proceedings in court that conflict with the Government’s position, the Chief Minister has instructed the Attorney General of Sabah to examine and review.
“If there are facts that need to be corrected, it will be done to give a clear picture of the Sabah Government’s official stance and position,” he said.
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