SANDAKAN – Sabah will not fall into hard times if it is not politically aligned with Putrajaya, says Warisan leader Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, in response to federal leaders' perceived threat that the state would suffer if it opposes the central government.
The caretaker chief minister who is leading Warisan Plus’ charge in the Sabah polls today warned that it is Putrajaya that will suffer if it goes against the state, reminding the federal leaders that a large chunk of the government’s wealth is derived from the state.
“They say if Sabah doesn't support Kuala Lumpur, the state will face hard times. But what if the state stops giving its oil and gas, then Kuala Lumpur instead will face a hard time. Am I right?” said Shafie, drawing cheers from the crowd.
He said this on the campaign trail at the Hung Fatt Restaurant in Sandakan, five days before the Sabah polls.
The state’s ties with the federal government soured after Perikatan Nasional (PN) came to power in March.
Numerous issues have been unresolved or remain uncertain after Pakatan Harapan (PH) lost power at the federal level.
The implementation of state rights, Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and also a 20% increase in oil royalty was part of PH's 14th General Election manifesto.
Shafie recalled that it was the late Tun Mustapha Datu Harun, former Sabah chief minister, who had saved Umno when it ran into financial problems back in the 1970s by giving the party millions of ringgit to save it.
“There is also a video of former Petronas Chairman Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah who said the oil company was getting RM90 billion annually," added Shafie
“Where did this oil come from? It is from Sabah. It is our oil, and we have to beg from them. They get the oil revenue, taxes collected from Sabah from retail, oil palm and others. They take in 60% and return 40% to Sabah.
“We do all the hard work while they sit in their office and tax our sweat and tears. This is not how you run a nation,” he said. – The Vibes, September 22, 2020.
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