Kota Kinabalu: Star President Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan called on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to immediately implement Sabah’s 40 per cent revenue entitlement, warning that failure to do so may provoke a “referendum-like reaction” in the next general election.
The Tambunan Assemblyman said the entitlement was not subject to federal discretion but was a constitutional right provided under Articles 112C and 112D of the Federal Constitution and affirmed by the Kota Kinabalu High Court ruling on Oct. 17, 2025.
“The Prime Minister must act in accordance with his words and take this golden opportunity to implement Sabah’s rights in full,” he said, referring to Anwar’s earlier declaration that “the 40 per cent is settled. Case closed.”Kitingan rejected suggestions that the Federal Government’s financial position should determine when the entitlement is paid, saying the revenue concerned represented Sabah’s portion.
“This is not about the Federal Government’s financial position. The money is not ‘federal money’, it is our portion.
“Sabah urgently needs this revenue to resolve the outstanding and current problems plaguing the State — water shortages, electricity failures, poverty, underdevelopment and more,” he said.
He said the RM1.5 billion interim special grant announced by Anwar during the Kaamatan celebration remained well below what he maintained was Sabah’s actual entitlement, which he estimated should amount to at least RM5 billion for 2026 alone.
Kitingan also proposed establishing an MA63 Revenue Tracking System (Marts) in Sabah to allow real-time monitoring and classification of federal revenue collected from the State.
He argued that implementing the entitlement could benefit the Madani Government politically and potentially strengthen support from the Borneo bloc.
He claimed Sabah contributes up to RM50 billion annually in federal revenue, meaning a 40 per cent share could potentially amount to RM20 billion a year, while federal allocations to the State remained comparatively small.
Jeffrey also cautioned against equating federal subsidies with Sabah’s constitutional entitlement, saying subsidies constituted assistance whereas constitutional rights were a separate matter.
