KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is suggesting that 40% of federal revenue be allocated for non-disputed items, Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan says.
“We have suggested implementing this 40% on items that are not disputed, such as the taxes collected from the state as a temporary measure,” he said after attending the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) technical committee meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof here.
He said these suggestions must not prejudice the final decision on the issues involving the state’s claim to the 40% federal tax revenue return to the state as provided under Sections 112C and 112D of the Federal Constitution.
It is understood that the technical committee were cautious due to the Sabah Law Society’s (SLS) ongoing High Court case against the federal government over state rights to 40% revenue.
Fadillah said the technical committee meeting on Monday (July 14) was specific to Sabah’s claims for its revenue under Sections 112C and 112D only.
He said they were looking at solutions outside the court jurisdiction, seeing that there is an ongoing case by the SLS at the moment.
“There are constraints in making decisions that are under the court’s jurisdiction for the time being, so we must find solutions to areas outside the court’s jurisdiction,” he explained.
Fadillah said that this special technical meeting in Sabah is specific to the needs and claims in Sabah, and would be followed up with another technical meeting with Sarawak.
He said an MA63 action council meeting to discuss Sabah and Sarawak’s rights is scheduled to be held on Sept 12 in Kuala Lumpur.
Earlier, he said that the suggestions from Sabah will be conveyed to the Prime Minister for consideration, and whether they will be adopted as an interim measure.
The SLS court case e-review is set to be heard at the Kota Kinabalu High Court on Aug 7.
