THE Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) State Government will continue to demand and strive to get all Sabah’s rights as enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), including the right to 40 per cent of tax revenue collected by the Federal Government in Sabah.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said this is the basis for Sabah’s demands for its rights as enshrined in the MA63, no matter what is being said at the federal level.
“The State Government will continue to demand and strive to get 40 per cent of the tax revenue collected from Sabah. That is our stand,” he said when winding up for the Ministry of Finance and the Chief Minister’s Department (CMD) during the State Legislative Assembly sitting on March 24.
He was replying to a supplementary question on the State Government’s stand on the matter following a recent report quoting Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz as saying the 40 per cent revenue sharing formula with Sabah is no longer applicable as it was deemed to be outside of the Federal Government’s financial capacity now.
“That is their view or opinion. The State Government’s stand is that we will continue to demand the 40 per cent. Everything listed as our main demands, we will never drop any. We will continue to demand until we get the proceeds from what has been promised in the MA63,” said Hajiji, who is also State Finance Minister.
“Demands for our MA63 rights will continue to be made based on the spirit of the Malaysian Family,” said Hajiji.
On issues related to the Territorial Sea Act 2012, North Borneo (Alteration of Boundaries) Order in Council 1954 and the Petroleum Development Act 1974, Hajiji said the State Government was of the view that the rights and interests of the State are as enshrined under the North Borneo (Alteration of Boundaries) Order in Council 1954 which covers the continental shelf.
“Therefore, the rights and interests of Sabah have been informed to the Federal Government through the MA63 Special Council meeting,” he said.
Hajiji also said the State Government is committed to ensuring that all approved projects are implemented according to schedule so that the targeted people will benefit.
“Therefore, as Chairman of the State Development Committee, I have asked the Federal Government to resolve issues related to the sick projects. My priority is that every project approved by the Federal Government in every National Budget and 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) must be implemented according to schedule.
“At the same time, I have instructed all heads of state and federal departments to take the matter seriously,” he said.
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