Rahman Dahlan: Putrajaya bound to fulfil Sabah obligations

KOTA KINABALU: The federal government is bound to fulfil its obligations to Sabah as enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement, a senior Cabinet member said.

Housing, Local Government and Urban Wellbeing Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan said Putrajaya would likely, however, make known its financial allocations to Sabah during discussions on the state’s 40% entitlement of revenue collected by the federal authorities from the state.

“I am sure the federal government will reveal all its expenses for Sabah, some are known and some not, some are direct, some indirect,” he said after his Hari Raya open house in Tuaran, about 40km from here, Monday.

Rahman congratulated Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman for being instrumental in bringing the matter to the attention of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who agreed to the setting up of a special committee on this.

Rahman said discussing Sabah’s entitlement at the negotiation table was better than politicising it.

Anifah, who led a group of five, including Sabah STAR chairman Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, to meet Najib in Putrajaya last week, said the Prime Minister was receptive to Sabah's constitutional entitlement.

Anifah said he expected the special committee to be formed soon after Hari Raya.

The committee, he said, would comprise experts with knowledge on the Constitution and the historical background to Sabah becoming part of Malaysia in 1963.

The committee would study Sabah’s rights to higher oil royalty as well as a return of 40% of the net revenue obtained from the state.

He said the matter was non-­political as it had been discussed at length during various forums with the people.

Najib’s green light to set up the committee was well received by state leaders across the political spectrum, with many state leaders saying that such a review was long overdue.

Among those at the open house were Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman and Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan.