Make official demand for 40 pct revenue – Ewon

PENAMPANG (Jan 22): The Sabah government must register an official demand for the 40 per cent federal revenue payback to Sabah with the Federal Government, said UPKO President Datuk Ewon Benedick.

This is because he believed the State Government has never made an official demand to the Federal Government for the payment of revenue owed to Sabah.

“So far based on what I have checked, there may be something that was not revealed to me, but to my knowledge, the State Government has never made an official demand or register their claim.

“Sabah has been playing a waiting game all this while,” he opined.

Speaking to reporters when met at the Penampang Parliament’s service centre here on Monday, Ewon said demands for the repayment of the 40 per cent revenue to Sabah was made in the media, in speeches made in Parliament and the State Assembly.

“But we must ask if the State Government has made an official demand that states the revenue of the state and what is due as repayment to Sabah this year and in coming years,” he said.

According to the Penampang Member of Parliament and Kadamaian assemblyman, during his two years in the previous State Government and one year in the Federal Government, there has never been any official request made.

“It therefore goes back to the State Government to register their claims and send a Letter of Demand to the Federal Government for the repayment. The Chief Minister and State Cabinet must discuss and file this demand which is the missing link to the issue.

“There must also be a specific discussion about the repayment mechanism and I hope that all parties who support the Chief Minister will take the initiative to find the mechanism because it is very technical and not as simple as demanding for the 40 per cent to be paid,” the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister stressed.

According to Ewon, Upko has, in a courtesy call on Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor recently, submitted its suggested mechanism on the repayment of the 40 per cent revenue.

“I cannot file the demand on behalf of the State Government as I do not represent the State Government. Even though I am from Sabah I do not have the local standi to speak on behalf of the State Government.

“But I can, in my capacity as a member of the MA63 Technical Committee, give my opinion on the matter. I hope the Chief Minister and the State Cabinet will discuss this as soon as possible and submit their claim to the Federal Cabinet so that we can really discuss this,” he said.

It is to be based on the official letter, an official claim by the State Government which has never, to my knowledge, been done.

Ewon pointed out no previous Federal Government has given a deadline for the issue to be resolved, adding, “only this Madani Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, which set July this year for a mechanism to be finalized.

“So how can we discuss the mechanism if there has yet to be an official demand from the State Government? Yesterday I attended PH Sabah’s meeting and I suggested that the two state ministers from the coalition bring the issue up for discussion in the Cabinet meeting,” he said.

Ewon also said the restructuring of the MA63 Implementation Action Council Technical Committee was made following the Federal Cabinet reshuffle that saw Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali appointed as Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister.

Armizan previously was Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Sabah and Sarawak Affairs.

According to Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick, the Technical Committee chairman, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof was retained.

The Technical Committee members, he said, will be improved as it will now include all the ministers from Sabah and Sarawak.

“Armizan and I as well as the five ministers from Sarawak will now be in the committee. In the past it was only Fadillah as chairman, Armizan as the coordinating minister and me who was appointed in June last year,” he said.

The Penampang member of parliament expects that the committee’s first meeting will be called in the first quarter of this year.

To a question if the 40 per cent revenue payment mechanism will be discussed in the meeting, Ewon replied, “I expect the state government to file the mechanism because as (Deputy Chief Minister) Dr Jeffrey mentioned, it is Government to Government so we can discuss at the committee.

“I can speak about the state’s interest but I cannot represent the state government,” he stressed.