KOTA KINABALU: Now is the best time to pursue devolution of powers for Sabah from the Federal Government, said Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) treasurer general Albert Ngan Yun Kiang.
Ngan, who is also Tanjung Aru division chairman, said Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem had been vocal about seeking more autonomy for the state during the Sarawak state election in May.
“Since the landslide victory of Sarawak Barisan Nasional (BN) in the state election, Adenan has been in talks with the Federal Government over devolution of powers.
“The Sabah State Government should take advantage of this new development and work with our Sarawakian counterparts to fight for more power to the East Malaysian states, particularly to review and claim Sabah’s rights and autonomy as enshrined in the Federal Constitution.”
Ngan concurred with Minister of Special Tasks cum LDP president Datuk Teo Chee Kang’s statement that the State Government should start negotiations on devolution of powers with the Federal Government as soon as possible, given that the next general election is only two years away.
“Now is the best time for the State Government to pursue more autonomous powers from its federal counterparts as we are heading for the 14th General Election.
“The people will assess the State Government based on the outcome of the negotiations on the devolution of powers.
“If our hard work come into fruition, it will certainly augur well for Sabah BN in the next election.”
On another note, Ngan said the amount of oil royalty and special grant to Sabah should be increased in order to meet the development needs of the growing population in Sabah.
Citing Teo’s statement, Ngan said Sabah had been getting RM26.7 million of special grant annually since 1973, which was insufficient considering that the population had increased significantly over the years.
“The special grant of RM26.7 million is a small amount after taking into account the current population and inflation.
“I hope the technical committee formed to negotiate the devolution of powers can start by collecting opinion and suggestions from the public on this matter so that we can speak with authority when pursuing for more autonomy from the Federal Government.”