Loke speaking at the press conference.-Bernama photo
KOTA KINABALU (Nov 8): DAP Secretary-General Anthony Loke said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is expected to address the recent High Court decision on Sabah’s 40 percent revenue entitlement from the federal government.
“The Prime Minister will be here tomorrow, and I am sure he will touch on this subject very clearly,” said Loke.
He said the DAP national leadership had discussed the matter during its last Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting and acknowledged the sentiments of DAP Sabah.
“We have adopted the position that the court ruling, which compels negotiations within the next 180 days, should proceed. The due process of negotiation between the federal and state governments must take place. This is a big matter,” he said.
Loke also questioned past Sabah governments for failing to pursue the issue over the decades.
“Why haven’t they fought for this issue all these years? The court ruling says there should be a review every five years, and the last one was done in 1979,” he pointed out.
He urged the media to ask former leaders who were in government before why they did not initiate negotiations on the matter when they had the chance.
Loke reiterated that the current federal administration is committed to ensuring fairness for Sabah, but reminded that a proper process must be followed.
“Yes, the court has made a decision, but a negotiation must take place to determine the implementation, quantum, and other details,” he said.
“At the same time, those pointing fingers at the federal government now should also be held responsible, as they failed in their duty to request a review in the past,” he added.
Loke noted that discussions on the 40 percent revenue entitlement have been ongoing since the formation of the Madani government.
“We are committed to resolving the MA63 issues through the MA63 committee,” he said, adding that the federal government is focused on ensuring balanced development across Malaysia, particularly in Sabah, which still lags behind.
“Of course, Sabah needs more attention from the federal government. We are aware that Sabah has great potential,” he said.
He highlighted that beyond the 40 percent revenue issue, federal ministries have been actively implementing development projects in Sabah, including airport upgrades in Kota Kinabalu, Tawau and Sandakan.
“All these are part of the federal contribution to Sabah. While some parties may try to play on public sentiment, we believe voters in Sabah can see the importance of maintaining a close relationship between the state and federal governments,” he said.
Loke emphasized that the current federal government is “pro-development” for Sabah and has already delivered on its commitments.
“It’s not just talk — over the past few years, various funds have been channelled and projects implemented.
This isn’t about elections or the court ruling. The work started much earlier,” he said, citing major ongoing projects under his Transport Ministry as examples.
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