‘I don’t need a thank you’ but ‘ask nicely’, PM Anwar tells ‘friends’ in Sabah seeking federal funds

August 5, 2024

‘I don’t need a thank you’ but ‘ask nicely’, PM Anwar tells ‘friends’ in Sabah seeking federal funds

KOTA KINABALU, Aug 4 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today chided elected representatives from within his unity government for questioning his statement and intentions on federal funds for the state.

In a warning, Anwar said those “who want to be friends must ask nicely.”

“I won’t mind if they’re part of the Opposition, but what if they’re your own friends, who want to be friends, then you must act like friends.

“You must have manners as friends. You have to know that you have a responsibility to your country. It is not about you but about the people,” he said at the Sabah PKR gathering here.

The visibly annoyed PKR president expressed his displeasure at the response to his past speech during the Kaamatan festival.

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Back then, he said the federal government had already given RM16 billion in development expenditure to Sabah.

Anwar did not mention names in his remarks today, and his comments were received with some confusion by several local leaders.

“When I made this announcement during the Kaamatan of 2023, RM16 billion budget, the elected representative and the Member of Parliament questioned this.

“You are an MP, you have access to the accounts; read it or you are not qualified to be an MP.

“As an Opposition leader for so long, I can understand if you protest. You ask, but as a friend don’t attack us, and then insult me as if I am lying,” he said.

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Anwar described the criticism from “a few outdated leaders” as “childish politics” and said that the figure comprised RM6.6 billion in development expenditure while RM7.9 billion was operational from federal agencies and RM1.5 billion was from other state expenditure, including from the constitutional special grant.

He chastised his critics for questioning his intentions in providing for the state and in fulfilling the rights under the Federal Constitution, claiming that negotiations were still underway.

“In semenanjung we have to deal with critics saying we are never Malay enough, not Islam enough and this is bad. But in Sabah we have others saying only they love Sabah enough, others do not.

“But you were in power before. What did you do for two years? Sit on your comfortable chair and think about allowances and timber?” he asked.

Anwar said that he was aware of the federal government’s obligations in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and that he intended on fulfilling it.

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“We should fulfil it, yes but this year we did more than the 10 years before. Appreciate it lah a bit. It’s not that I need a ‘thank you’, I don’t need a thank you. But what is needed is that you accept facts and negotiate again if you’re not happy.

“Other Sabah representatives in the Cabinet, Armizan, Ewon… they are always saying not enough. I also get tired of them constantly asking for more. But it’s ok, as long as they ask nicely as a friend,” he said.

Anwar was referring to two federal ministers – Datuk Armizan Ali who is in charge of domestic trade and cost of living, and Datuk Ewon Benedick who is in charge of cooperatives development.

On the 40 per cent constitutional special grant, Anwar said that the federal government collected some RM10.2 billion from Sabah last year, of which RM7.2 billion was from taxes collected from the Inland Revenue Board, RM1.7 billion from petroleum, RM700 million from customs duty and excise, and RM600 million from domestic tax.

The Sabah government has been trying to negotiate a return of its 40 per cent entitlement from the state’s revenue as per Article 112D of the Federal Constitution but among the issues is coming to an agreement on the revenue that can be included.