KOTA KINABALU: The ongoing fiasco over the court of appeal on 16 May hearing on the 40% entitlement goes to the core of governance and the protection of Sabah rights.

As such, an official confirmation from the attorney general chambers is desperately needed to state and explain the status of lawyer Tengku Datuk Fuad Ahmad. It seems that Tengku Fuad is no longer in the picture. Why? will anyone be held accountable?

Public servants, especially government officials and legislators, cannot rely on the bits and pieces of information in social media.

Some immediate and important questions are:

1.  Was Tengku Fuad Ahmad authorised to act for the Sabah government in respect of the SLS’ application for judicial review of the 40% net revenue claim?

2. What is the status of Tengku Fuad now?

3. Where has the AG been, particularly on the crucial day of May 16?

4. Why was no lawyer from the AG chambers present with Tengku Fuad at the court of appeal on 16 May 2024?

5. Today’s statement by AG that the AG has retracted Fuad’s submission on Article 112C and 112D as being “an aspiration” is called “damage control.”

But it needs to be clarified whether the AG also retracted Fuad’s contention that it is not mandatory to have any review beyond 1974, thereby rendering the “lost years” (48 years) as not claimable.

6. Will AG be leading the Sabah legal team from now onwards?

The Sabah people deserve clear explanations and answers. We cannot fast forward from 16 May to 24 May as though nothing had happened in between. -pr/BNN