Sabah, Sarawak want Putrajaya to provide formula used in deriving figure for special grants

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Shafie (right) and Abang Johari (second right) addressing the media in a joint press conference after the courtesy call.

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah and Sarawak governments have urged the federal government to provide the formula used in deriving the figure for the special grants.

Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Shafie Apdal said the formula of which the amount of special grant was based on was unknown to the state governments.

He said the issue was raised during the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) meeting.

Shafie said although the amount of special grant announced in Budget 2020 was less than what the state desired, the Sabah government was grateful that the special grant was revised this year, given that the grant was last reviewed in 1969.

However, he said it has never been discussed thoroughly as to the formula the federal government used to derive the amount for the special grant.

“While not quite happy with the allocations meant for Sabah, and we could do with more, nevertheless we are thankful to the Ministry of Finance.

“We would like to know the formula that the Ministry of Finance used in deriving at the figure for the special allocation,” Shafie said in a joint press conference with Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg here today.

Abang Johari has led a delegation, comprising his Deputy Chief Ministers Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing and Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Speaker Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar and State Secretary Datuk Amar Jaul Samion to call on Shafie as a return visit following the Sabah Chief Minister’s visit to Sarawak early this year.

Under the Budget 2020, Sabah will be given an increased special grant of RM 53.4 million while Sarawak will receive RM 32 million. The Federal Government has also pledged to double the special grants in the next five years, resulting in RM 106.8 million for Sabah and RM 64 million for Sarawak.

Meanwhile, Abang Johari said the special grant was part of the negotiation under MA63.

Asked if the amount was acceptable to Sarawak, he replied, “Well, people already give you that amount, you have to accept. Of course, we want more.”

Abang Johari stressed that there should be a right formula to calculate the amount of special grants for Sabah and Sarawak.

“If cannot be just a one-off (fund). It must be based on a certain formula.

“If there is an increase in revenue for the federal government, then they have to calculate based on that in order to contribute back to the state.

“If the revenue is less, there should also be a formula.”

Citing a Malay proverb ‘Kalau susah sama susah, kalau senang sama senang’, Abang Johari said the federal government should support the states of Sabah and Sarawak through thick and thin.

“What we don’t want is the federal government forgetting about Sabah and Sarawak during good times. This is what we are afraid of.”

Also present were Sabah Deputy Chief Ministers Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Madius Tangau, Datuk Christina Liew and Datuk Jaujan Sambakong, Sabah State Secretary Datuk Seri Panglima Hashim Paijan and Sabah State Legislative Assembly Speaker Datuk Syed Abbas Syed Ali.