By DANIEL JOHN JAMBUN, President Change Advocate Movement of Sabah (CAMOS)
KOTA KINABALU: Change Advocate Movement of Sabah (CAMOS) views the recent admission by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) that RM277 billion was lost over the past six years due to theft and leakage of public funds as a devastating indictment of the Federal Government’s continued delay in complying with the High Court judgment on Sabah’s constitutional entitlement to 40% of net federal revenue.
As of today, 90 days have elapsed since the High Court issued its clear and binding decision. Yet what has transpired cannot be honestly described as compliance.
There has been:
only one preliminary meeting,
no agreed accounting methodology,
no disclosure of relevant federal revenue data,
no substantive engagement on quantum, and
no binding timetable to ensure compliance within the court-mandated 180-day period.
Half of the compliance window has now expired.
RM277 BILLION LOST — BUT SABAH MUST “WAIT”
MACC’s own estimate means Malaysia lost approximately RM46 billion per year to corruption and leakage.
This single admission demolishes the Federal Government’s repeated excuses that:
the amount owed to Sabah is “uncertain”,
the process is “complex”, or
payment requires prolonged negotiations.
If even a fraction of the RM277 billion had been protected, Sabah’s 40% entitlement — now affirmed by the High Court — could have been paid without delay.
This exposes an uncomfortable truth:
The problem is not money.
The problem is political will.
The Federal Government has tolerated massive losses through corruption, yet resists prompt compliance when it comes to Sabah’s constitutional rights.
A QUESTION OF GOOD FAITH AND CONSTITUTIONAL ORDER
The High Court did not order symbolic engagement, open-ended discussions, or procedural stalling.
It imposed a time-bound constitutional obligation.
Continued delay, especially in light of the MACC’s admission, now raises serious questions of:
bad-faith compliance,
selective enforcement of constitutional duties, and
erosion of federal credibility.
Sabah is not asking for development grants, political favours, or discretionary allocations.
Sabah is demanding what the Constitution already guarantees.
WARNING AS 180-DAY DEADLINE APPROACHES
With 90 days remaining, CAMOS warns that continued inaction will not be viewed as administrative difficulty, but as deliberate non-compliance.
A Federal Government that can absorb RM277 billion in losses, yet delays paying Sabah its lawful share, cannot credibly claim commitment to constitutional governance or federal fairness.
Compliance delayed is compliance denied.
Sabah will not accept delay as policy, negotiation as evasion, or corruption as an excuse.
