KOTA KINABALU – Sabah’s Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government should be grateful to the previous Warisan Plus government, said Merotai state assemblyman Sarifuddin Hata.
He said this is because it is through the efforts of Warisan Plus that GRS can start enjoying the petroleum tax revenue of RM1.25 billion effective 2021.
Sarifuddin said the sales tax revenue on petroleum products is a legacy left by the Warisan Plus administration led by former Sabah chief minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal and this tax will be enjoyed by the people of Sabah forever.
Starting next year, Sabah will receive the petroleum tax revenue of RM1.25 billion.
Sarifuddin said, although the reign of Warisan Plus was only for two years, it was proven that Shafie had succeeded in demanding the rights of the people of Sabah, so that the state’s development can benefit future generations.
“During the Sabah Budget 2021 presentation, the chief minister stated that this revenue is worth RM1.25 billion and this is what Shafie has been fighting for ever since Warisan Plus took over the government.
“Although there are those who question the administration of Warisan Plus, all Sabahans can now see how Shafie’s success ensured that Sabah enjoys the revenue from this natural resource.
“GRS should be grateful because without Warisan Plus they will not be able to govern Sabah without the financial revenue,” he said in a statement.
Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said yesterday the petroleum tax contributed the most to Sabah's revenue this year accounting at about 27.9%.
At the end of 2018 during Sabah’s state assembly when Warisan Plus ruled, a proposal to slap a sales tax on the state’s petroleum products was tabled, and then later approved.
However, work to start implementing the tax only started in April this year after the Perikatan Nasional government seized Putrajaya from Pakatan Harapan.
This was then followed by GRS wresting power away from Warisan Plus in Sabah.
PN refused to fulfill Warisan Plus’s demands when it was in power in Sabah.
Sarifuddin said that apart from the tax revenue, Shafie also passed on to GRS a debtless Sabah government.
Sarifuddin said that when Shafie took over the government from Barisan Nasional led by Tan Sri Musa Aman, the Sabah Government was in debt of RM1 billion.
“This debt burdened Sabah’s financial capabilities but Shafie who inherited the administration from Musa Aman did not complain even though we do not know where the RM1 billion loss was spent on.
“Shafie instead focused on finding revenue, saving and improving the administration until the debt was successfully paid off at the end of 2019.
“Without a dedicated chief minister like Shafie, Sabah’s finances will not be as good today, I hope the people will look at this matter as a consideration before they elect a new leader after this,” said Sarifuddin. – The Vibes, December 19, 2020
