KOTA KINABALU: Sabah UMNO Treasurer and Inspector General Project of Sabah Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Salleh Said Keruak, said discussions on the relationship between the Federal Government and state governments should be viewed within the framework of strengthening Malaysia’s federal system, rather than as a challenge to national unity.
He said the recent remarks by the Johor Crown Prince, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, on the distribution of national revenue between the Federal Government and the states have reopened discussions on the need for a more balanced and equitable system for all states.
Salleh noted that Sabah has long raised issues concerning revenue sharing and the implementation of the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), which provides for a greater degree of autonomy for the states that formed Malaysia.
“Although the historical backgrounds of Johor and Sabah are different, both are essentially raising the same fundamental question — how the federal system can balance national interests with the aspirations and development needs of individual states,” he said in a Facebook post.
He stressed that discussions on fiscal powers, revenue sharing and state autonomy should be regarded as an opportunity to reassess the effectiveness of the existing federal framework and to draw lessons from best practices in other federal countries.
According to Salleh, a strong federation requires states that are competitive, adequately resourced and capable of implementing development agendas tailored to local needs.
“Stronger states will contribute to a stronger Malaysia. The ultimate goal is to build a federation that is fair, effective and balanced for the benefit of all Malaysians,” he said.-pr/BNN
