KOTA KINABALU: The incoming Sabah government will be fully responsible for finalising the 40% revenue to be returned to the state under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), says Sabah PKR chairman Datuk Mustapha Sakmud.
He said the federal government under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has demonstrated unprecedented commitment to restoring Sabah's rights and the onus will be on the new state leadership to ensure the rights benefit the people.
"The next Sabah government must play an active role in ensuring that the agreed formula truly reflects Sabah's rights and economic realities – not just figures on paper," Mustapha said in a statement on Thursday (Oct 23).
He said that contentious 40% special grant, a constitutional entitlement under Article 112C and 112D of the Federal Constitution, had remained stagnant but under the Madani government, the allocation had risen from RM26.7mil in 2018 to RM600mil in 2025.
Sabah PKR is now the next phase for the formulating a fair, transparent and legally proper revenue-sharing mechanism to be put in place by the new Sabah leadership after the state election.
Sabah PKR urged the new state administration to engage legal, economic and fiscal experts to put in place a sound formula in line with the original intention of MA63.
They should also work closely with the MA63 Implementation Action Council to institutionalise the process.
He said that the funds should be used effectively especially for critical sectors like infrastructure, education, healthcare and job creation.
