Barisan Nasional is criticised to gain cheap publicity over the announcement of setting up of a special committee to demand 40 percent entitlements of the net revenue collected by the Federal Government from the state to return back to the state. The current governing political party is urged to stop to mislead the public over the Special Grant issue.
In fact, the Federal Government has in principle agreed to review the Special Grant for Sabah but the sum needs to be determined first. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman in his winding up speech for the Chief Minister’s Department read by Special Tasks Minister, Datuk Teo Chee Kang in State Assembly Sitting in this April, said the Federal Government made the decision after the Special Committee to Review Sabah Special Grant convened on 29th January, 2014. (refer to http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=99059)
The winding up speech of Chief Minister in State Assembly Sitting in April, is consistent with the written answer obtained by the Sri Tanjong Assemblyman pertaining the issue of the State Government’s stand in demand the 40 percent entitlements of the net revenue collected by the Federal Government from the state. The State Ministry of Finance also confirmed that a meeting was supposed to be conducted at the end of October last year, but it was postponed due to “unforeseen circumstances”.
It is noted that, Malaysia Treasury has informed both Sabah and Sarawak that the basis for Special Grant review should be determined by taking new perspective since year 2008, during a meeting convened on 24th July 2008, according to the said written answer by State Ministry of Finance to me.
I believe the true meaning of “taking new perspective since year 2008”, is “taking into account the new political scenario after 12th General Election in 2008 which BN lost five states to Pakatan Rakyat.”
Based on the information above, we can conclude that, first, negotiation to review Special Grant has been continued for some time. It is not the outcome from any forum held recently. How can the organisers for the Malaysia Agreement forum convened in this March and followed in May, taking all the credits and forgetting other’s contribution since 2008?
Second, it’s nothing new when Anifah said our Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib agree to set up the special committee. Official written answer and CM’s winding up speech in the State Assembly won’t lie. The Special Committee to Review Sabah Special Grant has had set up, and meeting has been convened last year.
We don’t know who are the members for the Special Committee which had convened meeting before. As you know, the BN government can set up various kinds of committees with different name as many as they want.
What we know was, Anifah led a group of five, including Sabah State Reform Party (Star) Chairman Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, to meet Najib last week in Putrajaya.
It is interesting to note that, Teo Chee Kang had openly criticised Jeffrey has misconception for the said 40 percent entitlement during the April State Assembly Sitting. Teo said Jeffrey not able to read the Schedule 10th of Federal Constitution under the right context.
I assume this is the State Government official stand towards Jeffrey as Teo said it right in the State Assembly Sitting. How can a misconceptual guy perceived by the State Government led by Anifah to meet with PM? How contradictory it is?
I challenge the State Government to make the record straight.
Teo should apologise to Jeffrey openly and retract his statement of “misconceptual Jeffrey”. Otherwise, the views of BN Federal Minister and the BN State Minister towards Jeffrey are contradicting with each other. If Teo refuse to retract his statement, it means that State Government might not agree with the memorandum submitted to PM by the group of five led by Anifah, which Jeffrey was involved in the draft for the memorandum. What’s the point to set up the Special Grant Committee if the State Government not agree with the memorandum?
It further reinforce the impression that, starting from the series of forum officiated by Anifah, to the recent announcement by Anifah that Najib agree to the Special Grant Committee set up, Is nothing but a show, or more precisely Wayang Kulit, by making use of Borneo Nationalists including Jeffrey Kitingan, to voice out the issue then let the current BN leaders to take political mileage.
Don’t forget, it is impossible for the Federal Government to pay Sabah RM100 billion plus compound interest accumulated due since 1975 as claimed by Jeffrey as they need to collect Goods and Services Tax to sustain the government’s expenditure. So, whatever promised later by the Federal Government, please don’t take it seriously. They can easily cheat us Sabahan by not paying 40% entitlements at the first place, what else you can expect from the BN Federal Government? Do you really trust them?