Sabah MPs back legal action if 40% revenue talks not settled by April 15

The Tuaran MP said their willingness to back any court action deemed necessary by the Sabah Law Society (SLS) reflected the seriousness of the matter and their resolve to safeguard the state’s entitlement.

“We are very concerned about the slow pace of discussions, and regret that engagements thus far have been limited despite the significance of the (Oct 17) court decision,” Borneo Post quoted him as saying after a town hall session and special parliamentary briefing for Sabah MPs and senators yesterday.

Tangau also called for more frequent meetings between the federal and Sabah governments as the deadline approaches to resolve major outstanding disagreements and expedite the negotiation process.

He said lawmakers were disappointed that only three official meetings at the officers’ level had been held so far.

“At this stage, we are giving space for negotiations to conclude within the stipulated timeframe. If there is no agreement by April 15, we will stand behind any legal action initiated by SLS to secure the implementation of Sabah’s 40% entitlement,” he said.

On Oct 17 last year, the Kota Kinabalu High Court ruled that the federal government had acted unlawfully by failing to honour Sabah’s 40% share of federal revenue for nearly five decades.

The SLS filed for a judicial review in 2022, claiming that the federal government had breached the Federal Constitution by failing to conduct a mandatory revenue review every five years since 1974.

Tangau said MPs also called on the Sabah government to establish a federal revenue tracking system to identify, quantify and analyse revenue collected from the state since 1974, saying this would strengthen the state’s position and enhance transparency and accountability in matters related to its constitutional entitlement.