Don T Hold Federal Govt To Ransom Over 40pct Case Hassan

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Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim has criticised certain Sabah leaders over their “political ransom” attempts, allegedly threatening to resign from the federal cabinet if the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) appeals a recent court ruling on the state’s 40 percent revenue entitlement.
In a statement today, the PKR lawmaker said such tactics were unhealthy and unprecedented in Malaysian politics.
“There are parties and ministers from Sabah who have issued threats against the federal government — saying that if the AGC appeals the Kota Kinabalu High Court’s decision recognising Sabah’s constitutional right to 40 percent of federal revenue, then they will resign.
“This is political ransom. Such behaviour has never happened before,” he said.
Yesterday, Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Minister Ewon Benedick said he will resign if Putrajaya appeals against the High Court’s landmark ruling affirming Sabah’s constitutional right to 40 percent of federal revenue collected from the state.
The United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko) president made this pledge after a party division passed a resolution urging him to quit if an appeal is filed.
Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Minister Ewon BenedickHassan, however, urged all parties to allow the legal process to proceed without interference, noting that the AGC has the constitutional right to seek a judicial review and appeal court decisions.
“The legal process must not be obstructed. If we truly believe in the rule of law and the supremacy of the Constitution, the AGC must be allowed to perform its duties,” he added.
Political tension
The Kota Kinabalu High Court had recently ruled in favour of Sabah’s right to receive 40 percent of federal revenue collected from the state, a long-standing demand under Articles 112C and 112D of the Federal Constitution.
However, the decision has sparked political tension, with some Sabah leaders warning Putrajaya against appealing the judgment.
Hassan stressed that any case beginning at the High Court can be appealed up to the Federal Court, which is the proper forum to determine constitutional matters.
“If the High Court’s reasoning is strong in terms of facts and law, then the Court of Appeal - and later the Federal Court - will uphold it.
“But Malaysia as a federation will crumble if political threats are used to undermine the federal government,” he cautioned.
The veteran MP also pointed out that Sabah received one of the highest allocations under the 2026 federal budget - surpassing several states in Peninsular Malaysia, including Terengganu, Kelantan, Perlis, and Kedah.
“Why issue ultimatums when the government has already shown commitment through such allocations?” he asked.
On Friday, the Kota Kinabalu High Court ruled in favour of the SLS’ judicial review, affirming that Sabah is constitutionally entitled to 40 percent of federal revenue collected from the state under Articles 112C and 112D of the Federal Constitution.
The court also ordered the federal and state governments to review and settle within 180 days arrears for the “lost years” from 1974 to 2021, when no review of Sabah's share of revenue was carried out.
The AGC is reviewing the High Court judgment and will decide whether it will appeal against the ruling or otherwise. - Mkini

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