KOTA KINABALU: The Federal Government’s special grant to Sabah has increased over the years – reaching RM600mil this year – under the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) administration, says Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali.
The GRS deputy secretary-general said that since the coalition took over the state government in 2020, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor had acted swiftly to revoke an agreement made under the previous Warisan government, which had consented to a grant of only RM53.4mil.
Following this, Armizan said GRS renegotiated the deal and raised the grant to RM125.6mil in 2022.
“It was further increased to RM300mil in 2023, RM306mil in 2024, and RM600mil in 2025 as an interim arrangement, without prejudice to Sabah’s claim for a full 40% revenue return formula.
“This is proof of our effectiveness in upholding Sabah’s financial interests,” he said when launching the Limbahau GRS division election machinery in Papar yesterday.
Armizan was responding to Warisan president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal’s recent statement that the party could resolve Sabah’s three main issues – water, electricity and roads – within one year if given the mandate again.
Armizan claimed that Warisan had failed to defend Sabah’s rights by accepting the RM53.4mil special grant in 2020, a modest increase from the RM26.7mil maintained under the Barisan Nasional-led state government since 1973.
“Shafie must explain to the people why the state government at the time agreed to such a small increase of RM53.4mil.”
