Federal government urged to revise special grant to S’wak, Sabah
MIRI: The federal government should revise the special provisions under the constitution concerning the special allocation to Sarawak and Sabah.
Sibuti MP Lukanisman Awang Sauni said under Article 112D of the Federal Constitution, the special financial grant to Sarawak should be revised once every five years, but has not been done for a while.
“This is what is meant by our (Sarawak) rights being eroded,” he said in his inaugural parliament speech on Wednesday.
He said regaining Sarawak’s eroded rights is pertinent so that the decision to participate in the formation of Malaysia is ‘ not regretted by Sarawak’s future generations.’
“We agreed to join the Malay peninsula to enjoy dignified independence and a better life, hence the work to get back Sarawak’s eroded rights will not cease. The autonomy we demand is not to ‘ minimise’ the federal government, but to ease the burden of the federal government and as a sign that we have been taught well through the education of Malaysia’s unification,” he added.
Lukanisman further explained that Sarawak is not demanding a lot, despite the fact that it has contributed so much to the country’s revenue through its oil and gas.
“It was previously stated by the new federal government that the 20 per cent in oil royalty was the amount that they were willing to return. However, the 20 per cent should be from revenue, and not 20 per cent of profit,” he stressed.