KOTA KINABALU: The RM1.5bil interim special grant is not a substitute for the settlement of Sabah’s constitutional entitlement to a 40% revenue return, says the press secretary to the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak).
Ahmad Farid Sainuri said the interim payment was pending the finalisation of the actual amount of the special grant due to Sabah.
He was clarifying media reports quoting minister Datuk Mustapha Sakmud as saying, “If you want the RM1.5bil interim payment to continue, retain the Madani government”, which were published by several local news portals since Sept 27.
“For the record, the remarks by Mustapha were quoted out of context, creating the impression that Sabah’s constitutional rights were being linked to political support for the Madani government,” Ahmad Farid said in a statement.
He said what the minister intended to emphasise was the government’s commitment to addressing Sabah’s needs by increasing the interim payment to an unprecedented level.
“Under the administration of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the amount increased from RM300mil in 2023 to RM600mil in 2024, and now stands at RM1.5bil annually,” he said.
He said the increase in the interim payment reflected the close cooperation between the state and federal governments in working towards solutions on matters concerning the rights and interests of the people of Sabah.
Ahmad Farid stressed that highlighting the current administration’s record in no way portrayed Sabah’s rights as being conditional upon political support.
“Sabah’s rights remain firmly protected under the Federal Constitution, including matters relating to Sabah’s 40% special grant entitlement,” he said.
He added the formula, actual amount and implementation mechanism had not been set aside.
“These are at the core of the ongoing process being finalised between the Sabah government, through the state secretary and the Sabah Finance Ministry, and the Federal Government, through the Treasury secretary-general.
“The minister’s priority remains clear: all matters concerning the rights of Sabah and Sarawak under MA63 must be resolved effectively and in accordance with the Constitution, without compromising national unity.”
