KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the RM300 million in special grants from the federal government this year is another clear indication the state is on the right path towards getting its entitlement under Article 112D of the Federal Constitution.
Hajiji said he welcomed the RM40 million increase for Sabah compared with the RM260 million grant Putrajaya announced for the state in January.
“Be assured that we will not rest until Sabah gets what is owed to her as enshrined in MA63.This is an interim solution and, as mentioned by (deputy prime minister) Fadillah Yusof, negotiations are ongoing with a separate committee to determine and finalise the formula for the annual special grants for the two Bornean states within a year,” he said.
Hajiji also said Sabah would continue to fight for the special grant entitlement under Article 112C and Part IV in the Tenth Schedule, as well as Article 112D of the Federal Constitution, which provides for a formula and review of the 40% net revenue entitlement.
Fadillah, who is MA63 committee chairman, earlier announced that Sabah and Sarawak will both receive RM300 million in special grants this year from the federal government.
Sabah and Sarawak are entitled to special grants under Article 112C of the constitution.
In January, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that the special grant for Sarawak had been raised to RM300 million, while Sabah would receive RM260 million.
This is pending an agreement on the formula for the special grants.Chairing the MA63 Implementation Action Council Meeting, he said the Federal Government has agreed to increase the special grant in accordance with Article 112D of the Federal Constitution to RM300 millionAnwar, who is also the Minister of Finance, said the amount was only for the initial stage before a specific formula is announced and the provision of the grant was decided by previous leaders who saw the two states as lagging behind the peninsula during the formation of Malaysia.
He added that in the MA63, Article 112D mentioned about reasonable grants to be provided to Sarawak and Sabah starting with RM16 million and RM26 million, respectively, and should be reviewed once every five years but this did not happen.
Fadillah said the payments would be made as soon as possible.
“In terms of administration, (the payments of the special grants) need to be gazetted, and today we agreed on a few ways to get it done.
“Once it has been gazetted, the RM300 million (each for Sabah and Sarawak) will be channelled immediately,” he said at a press conference after chairing an MA63 technical committee meeting Wednesday.
— BERNAMA