KOTA KINABALU – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim urged the people of Sabah to hear his explanation regarding the federal government’s expenditures before raising questions about the demand for 40 per cent of Sabah’s rights.
He clarified that the federal government consistently allocates more funds to Sabah, but at the same time, other states also require attention.
“Earlier at the market, someone asked, ‘Datuk Seri, 40 per cent, 40 per cent.’ So I replied, Listen first… How much has the federal government spent on Sabah? Developing schools, healthcare, doctors, the ESSCOM border, border control, defence, all of it.
“I do not wish to defend what was done previously; I want to explain the Madani government. In 2024, the total tax revenue, income tax, and various taxes collected by the federal government amount to RM10 billion, with Sabah’s contributions sent to Putrajaya… That’s a lot… listen first…
“How much has the federal government spent on Sabah… We take in RM10 billion in revenue, and we return RM17 billion. Why?
“Because we collaborate between the federal and state governments to utilise our resources to develop the entire country of Malaysia, and coincidentally, Sabah is slightly lagging behind, so we provide more support,” he stated during the Madani Sabah programme at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC).
Anwar made these remarks while reflecting on a friendly session with the local community that raised the issue of implementing the demand for 40 per cent of Sabah’s revenue as stipulated in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
He also emphasised that the principle of fairness in the distribution of national resources must encompass all states, including poorer states like Perlis and Kelantan.
