Sabah Leaders Cast Doubt On Muhyiddin S 40pc Revenue Pledge Point To Inaction When He Was Pm

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Warisan’s Justin Wong (left) said nothing was implemented on MA63 when Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (right) was prime minister in 2020. — Daily Express picTAWAU, Sept 6 — Both the government and opposition questioned the sincerity of Perikatan Nasional (PN) Chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s pledge to return 40 per cent of tax revenue collected from Sabah.
Warisan’s Sri Tanjong Assemblyman Justin Wong said it was just another election promise ahead of the 17th State Election (PRN17).
He said under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), Sabah and Sarawak are recognised as equal partners with the Federation of Malaya, and the terms agreed upon must be implemented.
“However, when Muhyiddin was Prime Minister in 2020, nothing was carried out despite the importance of the agreement.
“Even with Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor as Chief Minister, this MA63 provision was not realised,” he said.
Justin said Sabah’s rights were not returned even when both State and Federal Governments were aligned.
“Now, with PRN17 approaching, this promise is being repeated. Will Sabah voters still believe it?” he asked.
He also said Sabah continues to be a model of harmony with its multi-ethnic and multi-religious society, in contrast to the “extreme politics” emerging from Peninsular Malaysia.
“No matter how attractive the promises, I believe Sabahans will not accept extremist parties to lead this State,” he said.
Justin further cautioned that peninsula-based parties are likely to partner with local parties in PRN17, but warned this could lead to instability.
“Although they may appear diverse, the reality is each has its own agenda. If they win, there will be power struggles and political manoeuvring. This will affect the people, delay infrastructure projects, weaken economic growth, and prolong hardship,” he said.
He said Parti Warisan is positioning itself as the only party not aligned with any national coalition.
“Warisan under Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal has an open and visionary leadership. The trend of ‘Sabah for Sabahans’ is gaining ground, similar to Sarawak being led fully by local parties,” he said.
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) that is part of the GRS-Plus state government also dismissed it as an insincere election ploy.
LDP Information Chief Nicholas Ban said Sabahans have been repeatedly misled with similar promises, pointing out that Muhyiddin failed to act on the constitutional entitlement when he was prime minister.
“Sabahans have seen through these empty promises trotted out at every election. We don’t need politicians who treat commitments like slogans,” he said in a statement.
He said Sabah was never treated fairly during PN’s time in power, let alone receiving its 40 per cent share. 
“Why wait until election season to put on a show? This is an insult to the intelligence of Sabahans,” Nicholas said.
The revenue-sharing formula has long been a contentious issue. Under Articles 112C and 112D of the Federal Constitution, Sabah is entitled to 40 per cent of net revenue collected, but the mechanism has been suspended since 1974, with the federal government instead providing increased special grants.
Nicholas said repackaging a constitutional duty as a campaign promise further exposed PN’s disregard for Sabah’s rights.
“What Sabah needs is a legally binding guarantee, not election candy,” he said, urging Sabahans to reject attempts to politicise the issue and demanding that the federal government immediately fulfil its constitutional obligations.
Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof had said in July that the Federal Government would deliberate on Sabah’s proposal at the Malaysia Agreement 1963 meeting on Sept 12. — Daily Express

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