Kota Kinabalu: The Federal Government has until July to state the amount of the 40 per cent entitlement, as enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
Sabah Finance Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said this in response to Penampang MP and Upko President Datuk Ewon Benedick’s recent call to issue a letter of demand.
“We sent a letter on June 10, 2022 asking for the amount that was acknowledged by the Federal Government when I was the second Finance Minister. At the time, Tengku Zafrul was Federal Finance Minister.
“And then an MA63 Technical Committee was formed specifically on getting the data and statistics for the baseline calculations of the 40 per cent.
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“The specific amount can only be obtained by combining all data and relevant agencies. Various Federal Government departments have collected tax from Sabah.
“We need that information, which is quite slow, to find out the correct recompense amount. It’s inappropriate to keep postponing
“The State will take options which will be decided upon if we still don’t get it (40 per cent) when the time comes,” he said.
In July last year, the Technical Committee chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof determined that the 40 per cent or Sabah’s special grant would be reached within a year.
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