SABAH will push for Pakatan Harapan to honour the 30% development budget allocation for the Borneo states, as stated in its manifesto Janji 42, said Christina Liew. 

The Sabah PH chairman said Janji 42 was not something that the PH government could have honoured within 100 days, but remains one of the coalition’s ultimate goals. 

Under Budget 2020, Peninsular Malaysia gets 82.9% of the RM56 billion development budget, although the largest benefactors – Sabah and Sarawak – only get 17.1%, or RM5.2 billion and RM4.4 billion respectively.

“Sabah PH will definitely pass this matter on to Chief Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal to pursue. 

“Shafie never stops (when it comes to chasing what is due and promised to Sabah) and I have full confidence in him as the allocation Sabah is getting right now is due to his hard work, chasing the prime minister and finance minister,” she told reporters in Kota Kinabalu today. 

Liew said this after flagging off runners and cyclists in the first Jesselton Cycling Race. 

To create more jobs, raise wages and develop East Malaysian states, PH had, in its manifesto Janji 42, promised to allocate 30% of the country’s development budget to the two states. 

The Sabah deputy chief minister also hoped the federal government will honour Janji 42 as it is “ultimate goal that we would like to reach”. 

Saying the larger allocations for Sabah and Sarawak in Budget 2020 showed PH’s sincerity in realising Janji 42, Liew added both PH and the Warisan-led Sabah government had been transparent in the way funds were being channelled. 

However, Liew said it would be sufficient if Putrajaya only honoured the 40% revenue entitlement for Sabah as per Article 112D of the federal constitution and Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63). 

She also lauded the first time in 45 years that Putrajaya has increased the special grant to RM53.4 million. 

“It gives the rakyat confidence that we are doing the right thing. 

Liew hoped Putrajaya will in the future honour the Sabah revenue entitlement, adding that the federal government needed to stop breaching MA63 terms. 

“I’m sure our country will be in a better financial position (in the future). 

“Hopefully, it will be better and the state government can pursue the 40%.” – October 13, 2019.