KOTA KINABALU: DAP Sabah will table a motion in the coming State Assembly sitting for a 20% oil royalty review and urged all Sabah elected representatives to support it.
Its organizing secretary, Junz Wong, called on the Sabah State Government to debate this motion comprehensively and make a stand to demand an increase on the oil royalty from 5% to 20%.
“Regardless of our political affiliation, all Sabahan elected representatives, be it state assemblymen or parliamentarians, should unite and fight for what Sabah deserves which is not less than 20% oil royalty,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Junz claimed that a 20% oil royalty increase would mean an additional three billion fixed revenue for Sabah that has been long overdue for Sabah.
“Why should we wait at the mercy of the Federal Government to allocate funds for Sabah’s development?” he asked.
Junz, who is also the Likas assemblyman, refuted Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan’s claim that bigger allocations by the Barisan Nasional (BN) in recent years was due to falling short of support in West Malaysia and had no choice but to focus more efforts in Sabah.
“Let’s not pretend that BN has been treating Sabah well. It was never so until the political tsunami and that’s a historical fact that no one would deny. Even then Sabah is still shortchanged!” Junz explained.
“With the 20% oil royalty increment, it’s still only right that in the spirit of federation that the Federal Government continues to allocate more funds to Sabah because we have been shortchanged and way underdeveloped under BN after all these donkeys years,” he argued.
Junz advised Rahman Dahlan not to try to divert attention.
“The point here is not how Dato Seri Anwar should explain his mechanism but his political will to increase the 20% oil royalty and give the states their deserved shares.
“Ultimately the big question is whether BN Sabah supports and will demand for the 20% oil royalty increment and not whether the Federal Government is willing to give a huge allocation,” he said.
“Perhaps Datuk Rahman Dahlan should start speaking like a Sabahan or he might as well quit as a Sabah MP!” Junz added.
Rahman Dahlan said on Sunday that an all-encompassing and comprehensive discussion is needed if the issue on the proposed increase of Sabah’s oil royalty is brought up.
The Umno Supreme Council member said as a local leader of Sabah, he agreed on principle with the suggestion to increase the oil royalty but at the same time, various aspects had to be discussed and ironed out.
“I agree with the views of Barisan Nasional youth (Parti Bersatu Sabah, Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah and United Pasokmomogun Kadzandusun Murut Organisation). However, the mechanism must be worked out. What is more important to me is the amount that the Federal Government will allocate to Sabah.
“Will it (development allocation for Sabah) be more than for other states? The oil royalty is not the only source of income for the state but it is also in the form of allocation from the Federal Government,” he told reporters after opening the Kota Belud District Fishermen’s Association Annual General Meeting, in Kota Belud on Sunday.