Federal govt’s ability to pay revenue owed to Sabah and Sarawak questionable, says Jeffrey Kitingan

KOTA KINABALU: The Federal government might not be able to fulfil its commitment to pay Sabah and Sarawak the 40% net revenue owed due to financial reasons, says Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan.

The Sabah STAR president said his gut feelings tell him that "they" would not be able to pay what was owed to Sabah and that reasons such as "financial situation" and "the needs of the state" would be used as an excuse or factors for consideration.

However, the Federal government must fulfil it, he said after officiating at the United Borneo Front 13th anniversary celebrations on Saturday (Dec 16).

Jeffrey said according to the constitution, both the state and Federal governments must come up with a payment formula to move forward and say this was what Sabah and Sarawak were entitled to.

He said an independent accessor must be appointed if a consensus could not be reached.

He added that it was also why there were representatives from Sabah and Sarawak in the Inland Revenue Board now, to know how much was being earned from both these states.

"Hopefully, they don't hide from us," Kitingan said, adding from a simple calculation he made on just a few of the revenues earned from Sabah, such as the income tax, Petronas and Customs duties, the 40% is about RM16bil, and not in the millions.

Sabah only got RM300mil in interim payments from the government this year.

On this, he said Sabah must hold the Federal government accountable and ensure that as long as this was still minuted in the technical committee for MA63 matters, they could continue fighting for it.

Kitingan said with Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof being fully in charge of MA63 and that he was the chairman of the MA63 technical committee, Sabah and Sarawak should be in a stronger position to fight for its rights.

Speaking on a public gazette regarding the RM300mil special interim grant payment issued recently, he said he too had made queries on it as he did not agree with the gazette.

"But they assured me that it can be changed anytime, and this is necessary for the Finance Ministry to make the payment," he said.

"We must hold them accountable. As long as this matter is still minuted in the technical committee minutes, that the formula would be resolved by August next year, they must be held accountable," said Kitingan

On UBF's vision, he hopes that Sabah would follow Sarawak in renaming the Chief Minister as premier.

Speaking from a personal point of view, he said this move would standardise the title of leaders in Sabah and Sarawak and put these two states at a different level from other states in the country.

Regarding a suggestion by a former Malaysia diplomat, Syed Nizamuddin Khassim, that Sarawak should have its equivalent of a foreign ministry, Kitingan said this was a good idea, and Sabah should have its own, as well, if Sarawak were successful in establishing theirs.