UNITED Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko) has urged the Sabah government to file an official request to Putrajaya for the rightful claim to 40% of the revenue collected by the Federal Government from Sabah.
Party president Datuk Ewon Benedick said he believed there had been no effort made by the previous Sabah government to file an official demand, saying the time is right now before a decision on the payment mechanism was made in July.
According to him, he had presented Upko’s resolution on the 40% revenue entitlement to Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, along with the party’s proposed payment plan for Putrajaya.
Benedick added other political parties should also have the same resolve to compel the state government to file an official demand to Putrajaya.
He said there had been numerous calls for the restoration of state rights whether in parliament or the state assembly but they had only been limited to news outlets.
He said only the state has the clout to express the demand to Putrajaya and believed Hajiji and his cabinet will file an official letter of demand on the 40% revenue entitlement.
“I do not represent the state government although I am from Sabah, being a member of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 Implementation Action Council (MTPMA63), I can still give my views based on my understanding of the Federal Constitution and the party I am representing,” he said.
He said the mechanism of the revenue entitlement was too technical and difficult, indicating one of the challenges included knowing the total revenue Putrajaya had collected from Sabah, including the years of arrears which have remained unpaid.
Sabah Finance Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun had recently spoken on the unavailability of complete data on the sources of revenue collected by the Federal Government from Sabah, and also Sabah Law Society’s description of the dues Putrajaya owed to Sabah dubbed as the “lost years.”
Benedick said only until recently, progress was made on the entitlement when a July timeline was given to decide on a framework for the payment of the 40% revenue rights under the Federal Madani Government led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Towards this end, Benedick stated it was only right for the Sabah government to assert its rights now. - The Vibes, January 24, 2023
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