KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government’s decision to pursue the 40% revenue claim with the Federal Government has Upko’s full support, says Datuk Ewon Benedict.
Stressing that negotiations between the Sabah and Federal Governments should continue on the matter, the Upko president said it was either to set a rate or to finalise the issue once and for all as stipulated in Article 112(c) of the Federal Constitution.
“I appreciate the efforts of the state government, which recently submitted the claim to the Federal Government.
“This is a very positive step towards resolving an issue that has been ongoing for a long time,” the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister said in a statement yesterday.
State Attorney General Datuk Brenndon Keith Soh recently said the Sabah government is performing its duties professionally and with dedication in pursuing the special 40% grant.
Soh was reported as saying that the deadline to resolve the issue “once and for all” lapsed on July 18, despite the state having officially written to the Finance Ministry regarding the matter on June 10, 2022.
“The state government of Sabah has at all material times been both professional and dedicated in the pursuit of the 40% net revenue special grant under Article 112(c) and 112(d) of the Federal Constitution,” he said in a statement on Friday.
In welcoming the Sabah Attorney General’s statement, Benedict said it was the commitment of the unity government and the readiness of the state government that would seal the deal.
“I will play a role in helping to realise the aspirations of Sabahans and the state government in achieving this claim through the platforms I am part of, including the Federal Cabinet, the Special Council on Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) Implementation and the MA63 Technical Committee,” said the Penampang MP.
He hopes that all leaders in the state will remain united in fighting for this claim in the interest of Sabahans as a whole.
“I also hope that the state government will hold special briefings from time to time with Sabah Members of Parliament and state assemblymen to provide more detailed explanations.
“We, too, need to know the latest developments regarding this claim,” he said.
