Sabah Pakatan leaders rapped for dropping revenue rights suit

Sabah political leaders have criticized the decision made by Pakatan Harapan to drop its suit against Putrajaya regarding entitlements under state rights. In a joint statement on September 20, the 12 Sabah Pakatan representatives explained that the decision was influenced by progress made in the claims under the Malaysia Agreement (MA63) and the assurance provided by the Federal Government. However, Datuk Henrynus Amin, the president of Parti Kerjasama Anak Negeri (PKAN), raised concerns about the motives and timing of the withdrawal of the originating summons on the 40% state entitlement.

Amin argued that withdrawing the suit weakened Sabah’s position in negotiations. He emphasized that the issue at hand was the Federal Government’s failure to comply with the 40% formula outlined in Article 112 C and Part IV, Section 1(2) of the Federal Constitution. Chin Tek Ming from Parti Warisan also questioned the withdrawal, asserting that the lawsuit should not be interpreted as a conflict of interest, even if some plaintiffs hold positions in the government or government-linked companies (GLCs).

Sabah Pakatan revealed that one of the plaintiffs in the originating summons, Upko president Datuk Ewon Benedick, has been appointed as a permanent member of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 Implementation Action Council (MTPMA63) and the Technical Committee. They further explained that the Technical Committee had decided to address the long-standing entitlement based on the 40% formula within a timeframe of 12 months, starting from July 18 of this year.

“We are also aware of the legal opinions regarding the current members of the Federal and state Cabinets as plaintiffs, and understand that it is untenable for us to continue this legal action,” stated the Sabah Pakatan representatives. They agreed to withdraw the originating summons but reserved the right to file a fresh one. Additionally, the representatives were informed that a new review, superseding the 2022 review, will soon be available regarding special grants, with the potential to increase the amount allocated to Sabah.