KENINGAU, Nov 16 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today stressed that the government is not deceiving the people over Sabah’s special grant based on 40 per cent of its revenue, and is instead committed to resolving the matter transparently and comprehensively.

Anwar, who is also Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman, reiterated the federal government’s commitment not to appeal against the Kota Kinabalu High Court’s decision regarding Sabah’s entitlement to the special grant.

He said the issue has, however, been politicised by opponents, particularly the Opposition, as a campaign point for the 17th Sabah State Election.

“They (the opposition) claim the government is appealing, implying it is wrong. Elections are not the place for deception. There are parties that were previously in government, even in the Cabinet, who know that any appeal we make relates to the grounds of the judgment.

“We are not appealing on the 40 per cent. The Attorney General has also clarified that there will be no appeal on the 40 per cent issue. I even mentioned in Parliament that we will not file an appeal regarding Sabah’s 40 per cent revenue,” he said during his speech at the ‘PM Sayang Sabah’ meet-and-greet programme with community leaders of the Tulid state constituency at Padang Kampung Menawo Ulu here. 

The prime minister said the government is now focusing on the technical negotiation process to determine Sabah’s actual revenue as well as the exact amount of the 40 per cent special grant in accordance with the Constitution.

He said Treasury secretary-general Datuk Johan Mahmood Merican will be in Sabah tomorrow to discuss the matter with the State Secretary.

“We need to discuss the parameters, details and technical aspects. Before that, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof will also chair a meeting.

“We need to scrutinise Sabah’s actual revenue, the actual value of the 40 per cent, and the government’s financial capacity. This is not empty talk,” he said.

On Friday, Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, the Federal Cabinet representative from Sabah for the Special Technical Committee Meeting of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 Implementation Action Council (JKTMTPMA63), said the first discussion on the issue of Sabah’s special grant based on the 40 per cent rate will be held tomorrow at Menara Kinabalu.

The prime minister also stressed that previously there had never been any serious negotiations on Sabah’s 40 per cent revenue claim except during the administration of the Madani government.

“Previously they only talked. There were no negotiations. Nothing serious. Now we have taken over and we are doing it seriously,” he said.

Also present at the event were PH candidate Datin Rufinah Pengeran for the Tulid seat, Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup for the Sook seat, and Education Minister and Wanita PKR chief Fadhlina Sidek.

Anwar also called on the people of Sabah to make the right choice when selecting candidates to represent them in the Tulid and Sook seats, particularly individuals capable of driving continuous development and consistently championing the state’s rights.

“In fact, I am here to show support and to ask friends here to understand why we want to choose candidates who can work with us. Rufina in Tulid and Arthur Kurup in Sook are part of our cooperation network at both the state and federal levels.

“Why is cooperation necessary? If we want to develop the state, cooperation between the state and federal governments must be strong. I hear sometimes campaigns just keep urging people to fight — this community against that community, this state against that state. Who benefits? Those top leaders who incite us to fight while they grow wealthier,” he said.

The Tulid seat was contested for the first time in the previous state election and has 16,551 electors this time, while Sook has 20,349 registered voters. Both seats are located in the Keningau parliamentary constituency, about 170 kilometres from Kota Kinabalu.

In this state election, Rufina faces a 14-cornered contest, the largest, while Arthur Kurup, who is also the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, will be challenged by four other candidates.

Polling day for the state election, involving 73 seats, has been set for November 29, with early voting on November 25.

According to the Election Commission, 1,784,843 people are eligible to vote in this election, comprising 1,760,417 regular electors, 11,697 military personnel and spouses, and 12,729 police personnel and spouses.

For the latest news on the 17th Sabah State Election, please visit https://prn.bernama.com/sabah/index.php — Bernama