Sabah committed to pursuing its rights

KOTA KINABALU: The financial position of the federal government must be taken into account when considering a review which will impact the nation as a whole, said Special Tasks Minister Datuk Teo Chee Kang.

Teo said the State Government is committed in its endeavours to return the rights of Sabah as stated under the Malaysian Agreement 1963 (MA63).

However, he said parties must take into view the financial standing of the federal government when questioning whether or not the rights and interests of Sabah are being served.

“If the federal government is unable to pay the State Government two-fifths of its net revenue, both governments should negotiate in order to come to agreeable terms.

“At the same time, the State Government must also be able to justify the importance of receiving the allotment to assure financial obligations of the State are met,” he said.

Teo added that claims made by the State Government, in principal, are in accordance with the Federal Constitution which is two-fifths of net revenue from Sabah.

The government is in talks to determine the value of net revenue, he said, adding that certain issues such as the Special Grants Review require time to be discussed.

Teo said this in response to a question by Klias assemblyman Datuk Seri Panglima Lajim Ukin at yesterday’s State Legislative Assembly sitting.

When asked of the State Government’s initiatives to restore Sabah’s rights under MA63, Teo said the special task force and technical committee had successfully submitted reports regarding the matter to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak earlier this year, which among other things resulted in the exclusion of Sabah and Sarawak from the Cabotage policy.

He added that although there is no telling how long it will take before all rights are restored to the State, Teo affirmed that the State government remains committed to the effort.

“I cannot predict how long it is going to take because there are some issues that can be dealt with through administrative decision, while others require amendments to the constitution.

“These processes take a long time, but what I can confirm is that the commitment of the State Government is unquestionable in returning the rights of Sabah,” he said.