By Daniel John Jambun
KOTA KINABALU: Borneo’s Plight in Malaysia Foundation (BoPiMaFo) takes note of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s announcement during the State-level Kaamatan Festival that Sabah’s interim special grant will be increased to RM1.5 billion.
We acknowledge the increase.
However, we also state clearly:
The issue was never about how much Putrajaya is willing to give.
The issue is how much Sabah is constitutionally entitled to receive.
For decades, Sabahans have been told to celebrate announcements.
What Sabahans now demand is transparency.
1. RM1.5 BILLION DOES NOT ANSWER THE MAIN QUESTION
The Prime Minister himself acknowledged that the RM1.5 billion is an interim payment pending final implementation of Sabah’s 40% revenue entitlement under Article 112D of the Federal Constitution.
This means one thing:
The constitutional issue remains unresolved.
The central question remains unanswered:
– What is the actual 40% entitlement?
– How much net federal revenue was collected from Sabah?
– What formula is being used?
– How was RM1.5 billion determined?
– Is RM1.5 billion equal to the constitutional entitlement?
– Or is the actual entitlement significantly higher?
Until these questions are answered, Sabahans cannot determine whether RM1.5 billion represents fairness or merely another temporary arrangement.
2. RIGHTS ARE NOT GIFTS
The language surrounding this announcement is deeply troubling.
Some are portraying the increase as though Sabah has received a generous gift from the Federal Government.
That narrative is fundamentally wrong.
The 40% entitlement is not charity.
It is not a political donation.
It is not a development grant.
It is not an election gift.
It is a constitutional obligation.
The Federal Constitution does not say Sabah may receive whatever amount Putrajaya feels comfortable providing.
The Constitution provides a legal framework for determining Sabah’s entitlement.
Rights cannot be reduced to political generosity.
3. IF THE ISSUE IS “SETTLED”, WHERE IS THE FIGURE?
The Prime Minister reportedly stated that the issue is settled and that no one should question the Government’s commitment.
If that is so, then the solution is simple:
Publish the figures.
Publish the methodology.
Publish the calculations.
Publish the federal revenue data.
Publish the basis upon which RM1.5 billion was determined.
Transparency ends speculation.
Secrecy creates suspicion.
If the Federal Government truly wishes to rebuild trust, disclosure is the answer.
4. WHAT ABOUT THE MISSING DECADES?
Sabahans must not forget another critical issue.
The dispute is not merely about payments today.
The dispute concerns what may have been lost since the constitutional review mechanism was supposed to operate after 1974.
The obvious question remains:
If Sabah was underpaid for decades, what happens to the arrears?
Has the Federal Government calculated them?
Will they be paid?
Will an independent assessment be conducted?
The people of Sabah deserve answers.
5. KAAMATAN SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR POLITICAL CELEBRATION
Kaamatan is a sacred cultural celebration of gratitude, identity, heritage and resilience.
It should not become a platform for political self-congratulation.
The real measure of success is not the size of an announcement made during a festival.
The real measure is whether Sabah finally receives what the Constitution guarantees.
6. SABAHANS MUST THINK BEYOND THE HEADLINES
For too long, Sabahans have been conditioned to celebrate allocations, grants, promises and announcements.
But mature political thinking requires a different question:
Not:
“How much did Putrajaya give us?”
But:
“How much belongs to Sabah in the first place?”
Those are not the same thing.
CONCLUSION
BoPiMaFo welcomes any increase in funding that benefits the people of Sabah.
However, Sabahans must not allow constitutional rights to be transformed into political gratitude.
The Federal Government deserves credit for increasing the interim payment.
But credit alone cannot replace accountability.
The people of Sabah now deserve full disclosure of:
– the 40% calculation formula;
– the net federal revenue figures;
– the final entitlement amount;
– and the status of any historical arrears.
Until those questions are answered, the debate is not over.
RM1.5 billion may be progress.
But Sabahans are still waiting for the truth.
