KOTA KINABALU – The federal government’s RM300 million special grant to Sabah shows continued commitment to the state’s entitlements under the federal constitution, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Mohd Noor.
He thanked the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) technical committee for deciding on the special grant, which was announced by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof yesterday.
Stressing that the grant was an “interim arrangement”, Hajiji said in a statement that Sabah and Putrajaya remain “resolute in our pursuit of Sabah’s rightful share under the MA63 and will continue our efforts until this entitlement is fulfilled”.
Hajiji said Sabah has never relinquished its rights to the 40% revenue, and the RM300 million special grant is an interim solution pending ongoing negotiations between the state and Putrajaya to set a formula for the payment of annual special grants.
This is to be achieved in a year’s time, as outlined by Fadillah previously.
Sabah’s claim to annual special grants are protected in Article 112C and Section 2 of Part IV in the Tenth Schedule, along with Article 112D, in the federal constitution.
Following the MA63 technical committee meeting, Fadillah yesterday confirmed that Sabah and Sarawak would receive RM300 million in special grants from the federal government this year.
“For Sabah, this signifies a RM40 million increase from the previous RM260 million grant announced by Putrajaya in January. The funds will be disbursed as soon as possible, as Fadillah serves as the chairman of the MA63 committee,” Fadillah said.
Sabah Umno chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin also welcomed the interim allocation, saying it demonstrates the commitment of the unity government led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“The RM300 million allocation is a vital initial step and is expected to have a positive impact on the economic and social development of Sabah’s people, particularly in addressing development issues, such as basic infrastructure development for clean water supply, electricity, critical road networks, and other long-overdue development projects compared to other states,” Bung Moktar said after chairing the Umno Sabah Liaison Body meeting last night.
Bung Moktar, who is also the Barisan Nasional Sabah chairman, said he hoped the state government would eventually be given autonomy to manage the special grant allocation.
“If the state government is granted autonomy over this allocation, the key focus should be on establishing an efficient and swift delivery system to revitalise efforts in developing various aspects of Sabah,” he said. – The Vibes, July 19, 2023
