DATUK Seri Anwar Ibrahim is defending his assertion that Putrajaya has provided Sabah with more than the constitutionally mandated 40% of revenue. The Prime Minister was firm in his response to critics, some of whom are aligned with his administration.

Anwar faced criticism after stating during the Kaamatan Harvest Festival on May 31 that Sabah had received RM16 billion in overall allocation, surpassing the stipulated 40% revenue entitlement.

“When I announced this at the Kaamatan Festival, there were elected representatives and MPs from the unity government who questioned this. They asked, ‘How can you be an MP if you don’t know how to read an account book? If you don’t read, you’re not fit to be an MP.’ What do they think, that I, the Prime Minister and Finance Minister, can manipulate numbers? Who is going to pay for the school buildings, the teachers, and the security personnel guarding the borders, or who will pay for the repair of the roads? I don’t mind if this is coming from the opposition, but if friends, you need to be friends and act like friends,” Anwar said during his speech in Kota Kinabalu at the Agenda Himpunan Perdana Rakyat.

The prime minister did not name these critics but described them as “outdated leaders” in Sabah who did nothing to restore the state’s rights when they were in power. He emphasised that the current Federal Government’s efforts to implement the Malaysia Agreement 1963 surpass those of previous governments over the past decade.

Anwar said it is reasonable to discuss the matter if the allocations are found unsatisfactory, but all revisions depend on the government’s financial capacity to meet demands. “You can ask. If you disagree with the amount and wish to get all the details, I will respect that. You can ask, but don’t attack, don’t insult me as if I am trying to cheat,” he said, describing this as ‘childish politics’.

Anwar revealed that the Federal Government collected a total of RM10.2 billion from Sabah, including RM600 million from tax, RM700 million from customs and excise, RM7.2 billion from the Inland Revenue Board, and RM1.7 billion from the state’s 5% petroleum cash payments.

In contrast, Anwar stated that the RM16 billion allocation to Sabah included RM7.9 billion for federal agencies in the state, RM1.5 billion in special grants, and RM6.6 billion for development funds. Additionally, RM1 billion was approved to repair border exit points in Sabah.

Sabah Star President Jeffrey Kitingan claimed the numbers did not add up and questioned how Anwar arrived at the amount when the figure was not revealed to the Sabah Government.

According to Article 112C of the Federal Constitution and Part IV of the Tenth Schedule, Sabah is entitled to 40% of the revenue Putrajaya collects from the state. – August 4, 2024.