GRS govt fails to effectively defend the interests of Sabah – Ronald Kiandee

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Government has failed to effectively defend the interests of Sabah in the judicial review proceedings concerning the special grant of 40 percent.

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This is perceived as an attempt to hinder the people of Sabah from obtaining their rightful rights under the Federal Constitution.

According to Datuk Seri Dr. Ronald Kiandee, the Chairman of Perikatan Nasional (PN) Sabah, the statement made by the Chief Minister of Sabah on March 17, 2024, indicates that the State Government of Sabah still lacks understanding regarding the core issue, which is the rights that should be granted in accordance with the Federal Constitution.

Merely accepting a special grant agreement with the Federal Government, which clearly falls short of what the people of Sabah are entitled to, is not sufficient, he said.

He highlighted that the special grant agreement between the Sabah Government and the Federal Government, starting in 2022 and involving an annual interim grant of RM125.6 million with incremental increases over a five-year period (2022–2026), is a serious breach of the obligations of both the Federal and State Governments towards the people of Sabah.

“In accordance with Article 4 of Article 112D, a review of the eligibility for special grants should have been conducted no later than 1969, six years after the formation of Malaysia, and again in 1974. However, these reviews were never carried out,” he stated in a statement on Saturday.

Ronald, who is also the Member of Parliament for Beluran, pointed out that the Chief Minister’s stance on this special grant issue appears inconsistent in his statement.

“Instead of intervening in this judicial review, the State Government of Sabah should have supported the actions of SLS.

“By intervening, both the State Government of Sabah and the Federal Government find themselves in a challenging position,” he added.

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