Residents see decision not to appeal as long-overdue step toward equal development and constitutional recognition
KOTA KINABALU: The federal government’s decision not to appeal the High Court ruling upholding Sabah’s right to 40% of federal revenue collected from the state has been hailed as a watershed moment, a long-awaited affirmation of Sabah’s constitutional rights.
For many in the state, the move has rekindled hopes of finally seeing Sabah stand on equal footing with the rest of the country.
Mohamad Jaafar, 57, a teacher from Tenom, said it was time to move beyond legal victory towards constructive dialogue between the Federal and state governments.
“That was part of our long-standing demand. This issue must now be discussed again between Sabah and the federal government so that there’s a win-win situation,” he told theSun yesterday.
“We in Sabah genuinely need the revenue returns but it must be properly debated in Parliament, which is the best platform for such discussions.”
He added that the people’s voice must guide negotiations and that leaders representing Sabah should clearly explain what is being claimed and how the allocations will be channelled.
“There needs to be public consultation so that when negotiations happen, they reflect the people’s will. I believe 90% of Sabahans still don’t fully understand what is being demanded. Leaders must explain the mechanism and flow of funds from the federal government to the state,” he said.
Rozie Liu, 23, a final-year student at Universiti Malaysia Sabah, said the ruling felt like justice finally being acknowledged after decades of calls.
“Sabahans have demanded this for a long time, so now that the decision has been made, I think it’s about time.
“Yes, the national economy is unstable and giving back 40% might be difficult, but it’s not impossible. It just needs to start somewhere,” she said.
Rozie added that despite higher living costs in Peninsular Malaysia, the development gap in Sabah remains a pressing concern.
“Here in Sabah, we’re not only behind the Peninsula but even lagging behind our neighbour, Sarawak. I welcome this decision wholeheartedly. I just hope the federal government sticks to it and doesn’t appeal.”.
Helson Abdullah, 34, a senior field assistant, said the ruling presents a vital opportunity to close the development gap.
“If the federal government doesn’t appeal, that’s great. We’ll continue supporting the prime minister. But if they do, I hope the next state government after the 17th state election will firmly oppose it.
“We need this revenue returned because we are poor. Just look around, there are still wooden schools in Sabah,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sandakan resident and homemaker Noraziyani Abdullah, 42, said the matter should have been settled long ago.
“This should have been implemented earlier so that we could progress together with Peninsular Malaysia. In Sandakan, travelling to Kota Kinabalu used to take five hours, but now it’s seven because of bad roads. Time seems to be moving backwards here.”
She added that many parts of Sabah, especially rural areas, remain underdeveloped.
“Our towns are stagnant and our villages are worse. Development hasn’t kept pace with the rest of the country.”
The Attorney-General’s Chambers, in a statement, confirmed that the decision was made during a special Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and attended by Attorney-General Datuk Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar.
