Federal, state governments must act on Sabah’s 40 pct revenue entitlement, says Warisan man

KOTA KINABALU (April 8): Warisan Supreme Council member Chen Ket Chuin has called for immediate action on Sabah’s 40 per cent revenue entitlement, urging both the federal and state governments to stop delaying payments.

In a statement, Chen criticised the handling of the entitlement, saying the Court of Appeal’s stay has exposed systemic failures.

“The High Court gave both governments 90 days to conduct a review, which expired on January 14.

“By the federal government’s own admission, only four meetings were held with the state government during that entire period.

“Four meetings in 90 days is not a review, that is a performance. The 180-day agreement deadline of April 15 was never going to be met.

“The stay application was not a response to difficulty, it was the exit strategy all along,” he said.

He called for transparency, urging both governments to make the minutes of these meetings public.

“Sabahans have every right to know what was discussed, what was proposed, and what, if anything, was achieved.

“Transparency is essential, whether the meetings were genuine or hollow,” he said.

Chen also highlighted a key admission by the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC).

“The AGC has publicly stated that the appeal does not challenge Sabah’s 40 per cent entitlement under Article 112C of the Federal Constitution.

“If the formula is not disputed, there is no legal reason to withhold payment from 2025 onwards. Pay what is owed now, and argue about the past later,” he said.

He warned that the focus on “lost years” from 1974 to 2021 has overshadowed urgent outstanding payments for 2022 to 2026.

“Every year without payment is another year of loss for Sabahans. Acknowledgment by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim must be backed by immediate action, not prolonged negotiations that risk becoming delaying tactics,” he said.

Chen also demanded disclosure of the total amount owed.

“After 47 years of non-payment, not a single figure has been made public. Is it RM10 billion, RM50 billion, RM100 billion? Sabahans have a right to know.

“The High Court has already found that the federal government acted unlawfully for nearly five decades. The Court of Appeal stay does not erase that finding.

“This is not merely a revenue dispute, this is a constitutional breach. Articles 112C and 112D of the Federal Constitution have been violated for 47 years. Treating this as a budgetary negotiation diminishes its significance.

“Both federal and state governments must be held accountable,” Chen said.

He warned the GRS state government to act decisively.

“Either GRS stands up for Sabah or it stands exposed. Sabahans will remember who fought, and who folded,” he said.