KOTA KINABALU: A local Sabah party has called on the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government to publicly declare its position on, or interpretation of, the special grant under Article 112D of the Federal Constitution.
Parti Kerjasama Anak Negeri (Anak Negeri) said this was so that the state could demand federal compliance.
Its president Datuk Henrynus Amin said Anak Negeri welcomed recent initiatives by the Federal Government to resolve the issue of special grants to Sabah and Sarawak, but the state government should be clear on its interpretation.
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It was not enough for Sabah to just follow Sarawak's lead on this, he added.
He said in a statement on Wednesday (Jan 25) that besides stating its position openly, Sabah should also negotiate the best possible terms under Article 112D.
“Sabah and Sarawak each have different financial provisions under Article 112D.
"While Sarawak was given an annual grant based on established figures, Sabah is entitled to 40% of the net federal revenue accrued in the state," Amin noted.
"So the financial formula for Sarawak is not necessarily the same as Sabah.
“We therefore urge the state government to fully inform the citizens of its position on the interpretation of special grants," he said.
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Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said on Jan 20 that the state welcomed the announcement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim that all outstanding Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) issues had passed the discussion stage and were now in the implementation stages.
The only issue, Hajiji said, was on technicalities and the state was looking forward to working with the Federal Government to ensure all Sabah’s demands were met.
Hajiji was speaking after he and Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg attended the MA63 Implementation Action Council meeting chaired by Anwar in Kuching.
Hajiji said the Prime Minister's announcement that the council agreed with the formula on the special grant for Sabah and Sarawak under Article 112D of the Federal Constitution was also a step in the right direction.
During the meeting, Hajiji had asked the Federal Government to expedite the review of Article 112D that requires it to return 40% of the revenue earned from Sabah as a special grant.
