KOTA KINABALU – Sabah UMNO will not remain silent if the Attorney General continues to appeal the High Court’s decision regarding Sabah’s right to receive 40 percent of the Federal’s net revenue.
Sabah UMNO Chief, Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, stressed that the High Court’s ruling clearly recognises Sabah’s rights as stated in Articles 112C and 112D of the Federal Constitution, and any attempt to challenge this decision will only hurt the feelings of the people in this state.
“UMNO Sabah welcomes the High Court’s decision that affirms Sabah’s right to 40 percent of the Federal’s net revenue as outlined in the Federal Constitution.
“This decision is a significant victory for the people of Sabah after this right has been denied since 1974,” he said in a statement on Saturday.
He said that the Attorney General should respect this decision and not reopen old wounds by pursuing the appeal, but instead focus on implementing the decision as soon as possible.
“Such an appeal will only undermine the spirit of cooperation between the state government and the Federal government.
“It is time for the Federal government to respect the court’s decision and fulfill their responsibilities towards Sabah,” he said.
Bung Moktar also stressed that if the appeal goes ahead, UMNO Sabah will urge its party members in Parliament to bring a motion of protest to the Prime Minister to ensure the court’s decision is implemented without any excuses.
Additionally, he called for an independent assessor to be appointed immediately to determine the actual amount of outstanding revenue since 1974 so that calculations and payments can be made fairly and transparently, in line with the original spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
He further expressed UMNO Sabah’s appreciation to the Sabah Law Society (SLS) for their courage and diligence in bringing this case to court despite facing political pressure.
