KOTA KINABALU, Oct 15 — Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal defended its acceptance of a mere RM53.4 million in special grants for Sabah during its time in government because the national budget then was faced with constraints.
He said the issue was never about rejecting allocations but ensuring the State’s constitutional rights are met.
The former chief minister was responding to Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) Deputy Sec-Gen Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, who said the incoming GRS-Plus State Government rejected the amount, forcing Federal to raise it to RM200 million pending resolution of the issues involved.
“We agreed with the allocation. It was the formula we disagreed with,” Shafie said, adding that Warisan had to cooperate with Federal at a time when the national budget was around RM200 billion, compared to today’s RM400 billion.
“We understood the financial challenges the country faced then. These matters required negotiation and understanding,” he told a media conference, Tuesday.
He said there is a distinction between special grants, which are discretionary and subject to negotiation and Sabah’s constitutional entitlement to 40 per cent of tax revenue collected in the State.
“Special grants are one thing, both Sabah and Sarawak receive them and these need to be negotiated.
“But the 40 per cent tax revenue is stated in the Malaysian Constitution. It comes from the consolidated fund and must be returned to Sabah. This does not need negotiation,” he stressed.
He pointed out his administration’s achievements which goes further than just financial allocations, especially in securing judicial autonomy for Sabah and Sarawak.
“The appointment of the Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak with full autonomy never happened before. Today, cases that happen in Sabah no longer need to be brought to the peninsula. Who made that happen? It was our (Warisan) government working together with Pakatan Harapan at that time,” he said.
On the budget allocation, Shafie said Warisan supports it as Sabah needs the funds, especially for civil servant salaries and economic operations. Only that there must be better implementation and distribution.
“For example, more than RM60 billion has been allocated for education. We must channel this money to areas that truly need it,” he said, citing shortages in Sabah’s healthcare system, among others.
“Sabah has only one cardiothoracic surgeon, forcing patients to travel to Kota Kinabalu for cardiac surgery despite large allocations to the Health Ministry.
“There are still wooden schools in Sabah, schools without proper water facilities. The allocations that exist must be implemented as best as possible, based on actual needs,” he said.
On candidates for the coming state election, Shafie said it would reveal the line-up before nomination day after ensuring all potential candidates have been thoroughly vetted for any legal issues.
“We have asked lawyers to ensure they (potential candidates) have no criminal cases, nothing that can be disputed. We want to be prepared,” he said.
On other matters, he said Warisan never promised to solve Sabah’s three main issues of water, electricity and roads within a year if it won.
“I said we can solve water issues in areas that already have the necessary infrastructure, such as water treatment plants and pipes, not in areas that do not even have any amenities yet,” he said.
The Election Commission is scheduled to meet on Thursday (October 16) to determine key dates for the 17th Sabah state election. — Daily Express
