TAWAU, Nov 10 — The Federal Government will decide at a special Cabinet meeting tomorrow whether to appeal a High Court’s decision that Sabah is entitled to 40 per cent of the revenue collected in the state, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today.
Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said the government would first consider the advice of the Attorney-General before making any decision on filing an appeal.
“I have called the meeting for tomorrow. We will first hear the Attorney-General’s statement on whether to appeal or not.
“For me, it is acceptable even if we choose not to appeal. But the final decision will be made after consulting all Cabinet members,” he said in his speech at the Malaysia Digital roadshow here today.
Anwar acknowledged that there are shortcomings and limitations in the matter, but hoped all parties would understand the situation.
“The court has directed us to negotiate, and I said that is acceptable (and) we will negotiate. But as of today, who do we negotiate with?
“The (Sabah) government is currently a caretaker government. After the (state) election (on Nov 29) and the formation of the new government, I will instruct that negotiations be conducted immediately,” he added.
Also present at the event were Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad and Sabah Finance Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun.
Anwar also stressed that his administration has allocated larger provisions to Sabah compared to previous governments.
He said Sabah now receives an annual allocation of RM17 billion, compared with revenue collected by the Federal Government in the state, which amounts to about RM10 billion a year.
“As Prime Minister, I increased special allocations to Sabah by RM600 million. But this is not final; the state government has requested additional funds, and in the upcoming meeting, we will negotiate how much more can be allocated,” he said.
Addressing criticism from the opposition, Anwar said: “If the opposition keeps criticising us, I want to ask: what exactly are you angry about? Under the previous government, only RM56 million was allocated. We increased it to RM600 million, and yet you are still unhappy?”
Anwar stressed that the Madani Government’s policies have always emphasised the principle of fairness for all states, including a commitment to ensuring that Sabah continues to receive priority in the national development agenda.
He said it was inappropriate for any party to express anger as the Madani Government has demonstrated a stronger and more consistent commitment to safeguarding Sabah’s rights as enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
Separately, the prime minister confirmed that tomorrow’s Special Cabinet meeting would not discuss a much-rumoured Cabinet reshuffle.
Regarding the resignation of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick, Anwar described it as a decision made prematurely, noting that the government is still reviewing various aspects related to Sabah’s 40 per cent revenue issue.
On November 8, Ewon confirmed his intention to resign as a Cabinet member through a statement on Facebook. — Bernama
