Budget 2017 Ignoring Sabah's 40% Net Revenue Constitutional Rights

KOTA KINABALU - “Budget 2017 has failed, once again, to account for Sabah’s 40% Net Revenue Entitlement under Article 112C, 112D and the Tenth Schedule of the Federal Constitution” said Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, President of STAR  who is also the Assemblyman for Bingkor, Keningau, as part of his response to the 2017 Budget tabled by PM Najib yesterday.

“Really disappointing” Jeffrey declared.

“I would have expected the PM, having received our non-partisan Memorandum to remind the Federal government of its constitutional obligation and having agreed to establish a Special Committee to show his sincerity by paying the current 2017 40% Net Revenue Entitlement due to Sabah under the Federal Constitution.”

“Even a token amount based on major known revenues derived from Sabah such as GST, personal and corporate income tax, customs and immigration revenues, Petronas and international oil companies’ revenues would have been okay for a start” added Dr. Jeffrey.

If the rights of Sabah written in the IGC Report (in paragraph 24) and enshrined in the Federal Constitution can be ignored repeatedly, what hope is there for the MA63 to be complied with?

It looks like Malaysia does not really exist except in name for Malaya to be masquerading as Malaysia.  The Federal government and the Malayans might as well throw MA63 away.