KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (pic) will address the issue of the 40% revenue entitlement for Sabah during the Minister’s Question Time in Parliament on Wednesday (Nov 13), says Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
He said the matter is crucial as it involves the rights of the people of Sabah and that the government had made its decision carefully to ensure fairness and avoid future confusion.
"Tomorrow at 10am, the Prime Minister will answer the first question in Parliament regarding the 40% revenue issue for Sabah. This is a serious matter as it involves public funds. We seek fairness, but we also want a sustainable decision,” he said.
Fahmi said this when speaking at the Deepavali Light Fiesta in the Lembah Pantai parliamentary constituency here on Tuesday (Nov 12) night.
He said the special Cabinet meeting yesterday decided not to appeal the Kota Kinabalu High Court’s ruling on Sabah’s special grant based on the 40% revenue entitlement as provided for under the Federal Constitution.
The decision was made after considering the advice of the Attorney-General’s Chambers, which stated that Sabah’s right to the 40% net revenue must be respected, and that the government would begin negotiations with the state government for its implementation.
However, the government will appeal aspects of the judgement related to alleged abuse of power and constitutional breaches by previous federal administrations since 1974.
"Among the matters we need to appeal is the interpretation stated in the judgement claiming that all Federal Governments from 1974 to 2021 had violated the Federal Constitution.
"This is a very serious matter, and it made us realise that it must be appealed,” said Fahmi.
He added that the decision took into account the long-term implications to prevent future issues and to safeguard the integrity of the nation’s leadership since 1974.
On Oct 17, the Kota Kinabalu High Court ruled that the Federal Government had acted unlawfully and exceeded its constitutional powers by failing to fulfil Sabah’s right to 40 per cent of federal revenue from 1974 to 2021. - Bernama
