Hajiji confident 40pc revenue talks can be settled within court’s three-month deadline
KOTA BELUD, Nov 18 — Caretaker Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor is confident that negotiations on the return of 40 per cent of Sabah’s net revenue entitlement can be concluded within the three-month timeframe directed by the High Court in October.
He said negotiations began yesterday with a meeting at the officers’ level, involving the state government team led by the state Secretary and the federal side represented by the secretary-general of the Treasury.
Speaking after the ‘Jelajah Rumah Kita, Kita Jaga’ programme for the Tempasuk and Usukan state constituencies at the residence of Datuk Japlin Akim here today, Hajiji said discussions held at Menara Kinabalu centred on the mechanism for settling the long-standing 40 per cent revenue return owed to Sabah.
“They have begun discussions. The State Secretary has informed me that they met with the federal government to talk about the mechanism on how the 40 per cent is to be resolved, how payments are to be made, and related matters.
“So let us wait. It is now at the officers’ level, with the State Secretary representing Sabah and the Treasury Secretary-General representing the federal government. We still have time; the court has given us three months, 90 days, for both governments to deliberate before a final decision is made,” he said.
Hajiji was responding to questions on the progress of negotiations following the federal government’s decision not to appeal the High Court ruling, which affirmed Sabah’s constitutional entitlement to the 40 per cent net revenue return.
The Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) chairman noted that determining the mechanism for the revenue formula is “somewhat technical” and will require several rounds of discussions before both sides can reach an agreement.
“This matter is rather technical, so the details cannot be explained yet. We will wait; they may need multiple rounds of talks before arriving at a consensus,” he added.
Hajiji also clarified that no specific amount has yet been determined as Sabah’s claim, as the state government is waiting for the federal government to disclose its computation of the 40 per cent entitlement.
“There is no amount yet. We do not have clear figures on how much revenue has actually been collected from Sabah. We want the federal government to inform us of the allocation, what constitutes the 40 per cent and what falls under the federal government’s obligations to Sabah,” he said.
Earlier at the event, Hajiji revealed that he had requested Prime Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Anwar Ibrahim not to appeal the High Court ruling on Sabah’s constitutional entitlement.
“He (the prime minister) called me and said: ‘InsyaAllah, we will not appeal the 40 per cent.’ He did not appeal that matter. What the Attorney General’s Chambers appealed was the wording they felt was unfair, based on decisions made previously.
“So give them the opportunity to resolve it. Negotiations have already begun, so let us move forward. Once this is settled, our revenue will increase,” he said.
Hajiji added that he has never shied away from engaging with the federal government, noting that he is often the most vocal during Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) meetings.
“I have my own way of administering. I am not afraid to negotiate with the federal government. In MA63 meetings, I speak the most.
“The prime minister even told me: ‘Hajiji may look sentimental, but in meetings he talks a lot.’ I just keep quiet publicly about these matters because that is my way,” he said. — The Borneo Post
[Source: Malay Mail]
