STATES that are dissatisfied at the concentration of power and resources with the federal government should explore a power-sharing deal, Johor DAP chief Liew Chin Tong said today.

Liew was referring to Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar’s comment yesterday that the government was treating the state like a “stepchild”.

“The call by the sultan for the federal government to treat the state of Johor better in terms of power-sharing and resource-sharing is timely, and resonates with the sentiments among states that are in a similar predicament,” Liew said in a statement.

“It is time for the federal and state governments to renegotiate, to create a Malaysian federalism that is more balanced and just, which will then contribute to the prosperity and wellbeing of ordinary Malaysians.”

In 2020, through the mechanism of “per capita grant”, Johor received RM47.82 million of federal funds, and through the “state roads maintenance grant”, Johor was given RM626 million, Liew said, adding that Johor received RM889 million from the federal government that year, a disproportionately small amount compared to the tax collected from the state.

Liew, the Perling assemblyman, said that this was also applicable to Sabah, Sarawak and Penang.

He said he has written to Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi to propose a bipartisan state assembly select committee on rejuvenating federalism and empowering the states to study a “new deal”.

“The committee should release its report by the end of this year,” he said, adding that it should look into power and resource sharing for the next 50 years.

The menteri besar should also lead the effort of all like-minded state governments to form an “all-states collaboration committee” to set an agenda for the new power-sharing between the federal government and the states, he said.

“The states that see the current federal-state relationship as unfair should join hands to push for a new deal.”

Liew said it is important to take the sultan’s concern seriously as Johor deserves better. 

During his royal address at the Johor assembly, the ruler complained about poorly maintained federal buildings in the state, such as Sultanah Aminah Hospital, Sultan Ismail Hospital, and the Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex.

He also said that investments into Johor have dwindled since 2019, but noted that this was not because of Covid.

Sultan Ibrahim also said that if any of Johor’s rights under the Federation of Malaya Agreement signed in 1948 and 1957 are breached, the state has the right to secede.

The ruler also cited the federal government’s lackadaisical attitude in 2018 towards Johor’s sovereignty, when then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad decided to drop the review bid for the Pulau Batu Puteh case at the International Court of Justice. – June 17, 2022.