KOTA KINABALU: It is mandatory for the Federal Government to comply with the High Court decision mandating the review and implementation of Sabah’s 40% revenue entitlement, says Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan (pic).
The Sabah STAR president and former deputy chief minister said that the order, which also requires the federal and state governments to come up with an agreed payout formula within 180 days from the date of order, was not optional.
“The 40% entitlement is Sabah’s constitutional right. It is not a political concession, not a development allocation, and not something that can be delayed, reduced or reinterpreted at the convenience of the federal government,” he said in a statement.
Kitingan emphasised that following the expiry of the 90-day halfway point review period ordered by the court, the constitutional entitlement should have been implemented.
He said procedural meetings or discussions without substantive outcomes cannot be regarded as compliance with the Federal Constitution or the court order.
“Assertions that the matter is on the Federal Cabinet’s agenda are insufficient in the absence of data transparency, including the total revenue derived from Sabah, the calculation methodology, and a clear implementation mechanism that is bound by a specific timeline,” he said.
Kitingan stressed that federal government expenditure in Sabah on education, healthcare and security constitutes the federal government’s basic responsibilities to all states, and cannot be used as justification to deny or offset Sabah’s constitutional rights.
He said Sabah has waited far too long, and any further delay would only reinforce the perception that the state’s 40% constitutional entitlement continues to be sidelined for political considerations.
“Sabah is not asking for charity. Sabah is demanding what rightfully belongs to it under the Federal Constitution and what the court has ordered to be implemented,” he said.
