Kota Kinabalu: Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star) criticised Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s statement in Parliament on Wednesday, accusing him of using politics to defend the Federal Government’s long-standing failure to honor Sabah’s 40 per cent revenue entitlement.
Star Information Chief Anuar Ghani said the Prime Minister’s explanation “missed the point entirely” and failed to address the core issue that concerns all Sabahans, whether the Federal Government intends to comply with the constitutional 40pc revenue return.
“The question every Sabahan is asking is simple: Where is our 40pc? Will the Federal Government honor the decision in the Constitution or not? Stop with the ‘gula-gula’ (sweeteners) and show us the money,” he said in a statement.
Anuar said the tone of the Prime Minister’s statement appeared to lay the groundwork for a possible appeal against the High Court’s decision on Oct 17, which ruled in favour of Sabah’s constitutional entitlement.
He said Anwar’s insistence that the payments gazetted in 2022, 2023, and 2025 were valid, despite the Court finding them unconstitutional was misleading to Parliament.
According to him, the Prime Minister also cited payments made in 2019 (RM53.4 million), 2022 (RM125.6 million), 2023 (RM300 million), and 2025 (RM600 million), which Anuar described as “cosmetic payments” that do not come close to what is owed to Sabah.
“As Star President Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan has said, these payments are merely ‘gula-gula’ that do not even amount to the rightful entitlement due for 48 years since 1974. To say that federal allocations exceed Sabah’s 40 per cent share is a fantasy,” he said.
Anuar emphasised that the Prime Minister also failed to address the 48-year gap in payments between 1974 and 2022.
“When the Prime Minister referred to allocations of RM14 billion in 2022 and RM17 billion in 2025/2026, those are separate from the Special Grant under Article 112C and the Tenth Schedule of the Federal Constitution. Those are ordinary federal allocations that include projects like the Pan Borneo Highway Phases 1(a), 1(b), and 2,” he said.
He also commented on the Commercial Collaboration Agreement (CCA), stating that if the RM2 billion generated had indeed benefited Sabahan oil and gas contractors, it would be only right, as they are entitled to reap the benefits of the state’s own resources.
Anuar reminded Anwar of his campaign promise during the last general election, where he pledged that Pakatan Harapan would fully implement the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) once in power.