KOTA KINABALU: As people eagerly await the results of the special meeting on the MA63 issue and the 40 percent demand, Sabahans are hoping for a miracle to finally resolve this long-standing problem.
For the first time, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim visited Sabah to personally chair the MA63 Committee Meeting at SICC, near here today.
“We often hear locals say, ‘It’s impossible, just empty promises,’ while some remain hopeful.
“Today is the day we find out the truth. Everyone is anxious and wishing for positive news from the MA63 Committee Meeting,” said social activist Salman Nurillah.
“Now is the time to turn our words into action,” he added.
He mentioned that the Prime Minister had promised a year ago to settle the MA63 issues once and for all.
Salman conveyed his strong belief that the Sabah people’s enduring patience over the last one year and eight months under the Madani Unity government will soon yield positive results.
He emphasised that if the prime minister consents to allocating 40% of the revenue entitlement to Sabah, calculated from the Federal Government’s total revenues generated in the state, it would mark a significant milestone.
“The prime minister would undoubtedly be hailed as a hero in both Sabah and Sarawak, receiving overwhelming support to maintain his leadership of the Federal Government,” he stated.
The return of the state’s 40 per cent net revenues under Article 112C and Part V of the 10th Schedule is stipulated in the Federal Constitution and its mandatory five-year reviews under Article 112D.
After 53 years, on April 14, 2022, the Federal Government agreed to increase the special grant to the state of Sabah. The new grant rose 4.7 times from RM26.7 million to RM125.6 million for the year 2022.
Then, yesterday (September 12, 2024), the unity government led by Anwar raised the special grant or interim grant to RM600 million.
Meanwhile, a former Petagas assemblyman, Datuk James Ligunjang, said since Sabah joined the Federation of Malaysia in 1963, it has been entitled to 40% of the revenues collected by the federal government within its borders.
He said this entitlement was designed to foster development within the state, aiming to create a balance in progress and prosperity comparable to that of other regions in Malaysia.
However, for many Sabahans, this promise has not been fulfilled, leading to growing discontent and disparity, he added.
Ligunjang opined that the intent behind the revenue entitlement was to leverage Sabah’s rich natural resources to benefit both the state and the nation as a whole.
This was hoped to close the development gaps between Sabah and the more industrialised states in Peninsular Malaysia, he said.
“Unfortunately, the reality has diverged significantly from these expectations. The exploitation of Sabah’s natural resources has primarily benefitted the federal government, while the state itself continues to grapple with limited development, poverty, and hardship,” he said.
