KOTA KINABALU: The Federal Government’s allocation of RM600mil to Sabah under the 40% revenue entitlement is far below what the state rightfully deserves, says Sabah Perikatan Nasional vice-chairman Datuk Dr Aliakbar Gulasan.
Aliakbar said the amount was not reflective of the approximately RM10bil collected annually by Putrajaya from Sabah through petroleum cash payments, as well as direct and indirect taxes.
“If the RM10bil figure is taken as the base, Sabah should rightfully receive at least RM4bil in special grants for 2025, not merely RM600mil,” he said in a statement on Thursday (Oct 23).
He was responding to remarks made by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Parliament on Oct 22, where Anwar cited the RM600mil figure in reference to Sabah’s special grant for 2025.
Aliakbar said the issue concerned the constitutional rights of Sabahans, adding that the 40% entitlement is a mandatory obligation under Articles 112C and 112D of the Federal Constitution.
He criticised Anwar‘s comments equating the special grant with federal expenditures in Sabah such as subsidies, agency operations and development spending, which totalled RM17bil for 2025 and 2026.
“To compare the 40% entitlement with federal spending obligations is shallow. The RM17bil covers mandatory expenditures under Article 109 that apply to all states, while the 40% entitlement under Article 112C is specific only to Sabah,” he said.
Aliakbar said the RM17bil spending should not replace or offset Sabah’s 40% share, which must still be honoured under the Constitution.
He also urged the unity government not to appeal the Kota Kinabalu High Court’s recent ruling ordering the Federal and Sabah governments to review and agree on a new revenue-sharing formula under Article 112D.
“Not appealing the court’s decision would demonstrate the Federal Government’s sincerity in fulfilling the rights of Sabahans as guaranteed under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63),” he said.
Aliakbar reiterated PN’s commitment to restoring Sabah’s 40% revenue entitlement if it comes to power, saying it would remain one of the coalition’s core pledges in the coming state election.
