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SABAH Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the state’s claim to 40% of the revenue derived from the state was “very much more than just aspirational.”
He said he has instructed the Sabah attorney-general to review the ongoing legal proceedings and, if necessary, correct any misguided statement that differs from the state’s formal position.
“Notwithstanding the ongoing proceedings in the Court of Appeal – we maintain the official demand that the state government of Sabah that the federal government are legally and constitutionally obligated to compensate the state of Sabah for what it is lawfully due, as a special grant, both historically and in the future.
“I assure the people of Sabah that we will not stop in our pursuit of all our state rights under MA63 and the Federal Constitution. This is our uncompromising and
absolute position,” he said in a statement here today.
Hajiji said this in reference to yesterday’s submissions in the Court of Appeal to set aside a High Court decision to grant the Sabah Law Society (SLS) judicial review on Sabah’s special grant rights.
Hajiji meanwhile reiterated stand of respecting the rights of the Sabah Law Society (SLS) to commence legal proceedings on the matter and also recognised the importance of public interest litigation which promotes the rule of law towards fair and equitable administration of justice.
“The state government sees the initiative by the SLS in a positive light that is not partisan and not political in the common furtherance of the constitutional arrangements when Sabah formed Malaysia in 1963.
"I do not want to pre-judge the outcome of the Court of Appeal but I share the same sentiment as the rakyat of Sabah and hope that any decision will be favourable to the state,” said Hajiji, adding that the 40% special grant is the special financial entitlement of the state.
He also reiterated that the state will opt to engage with an independent assessor as provided under the Federal Constitution to resolve the special grant issue should both parties not arrive to a resolution.
“We will continue to defend Sabah’s constitutional rights in relation to the existing revenue sharing formula and this must be respected by the Federal Government. This includes the state's claim for the 'lost years' where there has been no review conducted from 1974 until recently,” he said. – May 17, 2024.
