KOTA KINABALU: The state government does not compromise on matters related to rights in this state.
Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah Information Chief Datuk Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan stated that the Chief Minister of Sabah, Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor, explained the Sabah government’s position regarding the judicial review appeal issue of the 40 percent net profit claim under Articles 112C and 112D of the Federal Constitution.
He said that the basic rights of Sabah are guaranteed by the Federal Constitution through the Budget 2023 speech, thereby ensuring that the Federal Government is committed to increasing the special allocation rate compared to what was previously agreed upon.
“This includes expediting the negotiation process to find a solution. The issue of the 40 percent claim has been discussed and is being refined in the Technical Committee of the Implementation Action Council of the 1963 Malaysia Agreement (MA63), chaired by Deputy Prime Minister II, Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.
“Through these negotiations, the Sabah government continues to defend the constitutional rights related to the revenue-sharing formula stipulated under the Federal Constitution, including claims for the lost years from 1974 until now,” he said in a statement today.
Nizam, who is an Apas assemblyman, said that so far, there has been an interim settlement without prejudice, with Sabah receiving a larger special allocation amount than before while awaiting further negotiations between the two parties.
“While waiting for the ongoing negotiations, the interim settlement amount for special allocations has increased from RM125.6 million in 2022 to RM260 million announced in January 2023 to RM300 million in July 2023.
“Although this interim settlement is less than expected, the Sabah government remains committed and consistent in demanding a higher special allocation value than the amount previously agreed upon,” he added.g