Likas rep questions minister’s ‘shock’ over federal move to delay Sabah 40 pct revenue ruling

KOTA KINABALU (March 7): Likas assemblyman Tham Yun Fook has urged Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs) Datuk Mustapha Sakmud to clarify his position following reports that the federal government has applied to postpone the implementation of a High Court decision on Sabah’s 40 per cent net revenue entitlement.

Tham said Mustapha’s claim that he was “shocked” by the federal government’s move had raised serious questions among the public.

“I take note of the statement by Mustapha, the minister in charge of Sabah and Sarawak Affairs, who said he was ‘shocked’ by the action of the Federal Government of Malaysia in applying to postpone the implementation of the decision of the Kota Kinabalu High Court concerning Sabah’s constitutional right to 40 per cent of net revenue,” he said in a statement.

Tham said if Mustapha had prior knowledge of the government’s move to seek a postponement, his expression of “shock” could be perceived by the public as political theatrics.

“If he had in fact known earlier about the government’s move to seek a postponement, then his claim of being ‘shocked’ would only be seen by the people as nothing more than political theatrics,” he said.

However, Tham said the situation would be even more troubling if the minister had truly been unaware of the decision.

“If he truly did not know about the matter, then the situation is even more troubling. It shows that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, in his capacity as Prime Minister of Malaysia, does not regard seriously the position of Minister of Sabah and Sarawak Affairs held by him, to the extent that such an important decision could be made without the knowledge of the minister who is supposed to safeguard Sabah’s interests,” he said.

Tham called on Mustapha to publicly state his position on defending Sabah’s rights in relation to the federal government’s application to postpone the implementation of the court ruling.

“Whether he knew about it or not, I urge Mustapha to come forward immediately and publicly state his position on defending Sabah’s rights in relation to the federal government’s application to postpone the implementation of the court decision regarding Sabah’s claim to 40 per cent of net revenue,” he said.

He stressed that the people of Sabah deserve a clear and transparent explanation on the matter.

“The people of Sabah deserve an honest and transparent explanation. The claim for 40 per cent of net revenue is a constitutional right of the state of Sabah and must not be taken lightly or turned into a political game.

“The people of Sabah are waiting for a clear answer, not merely a statement of ‘shock’, but firm action and a clear stand in defending the rights of this state,” Tham said.