Kitingan expressed frustration 40% revenue entitlement meeting did not take place
Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan revealed that the Sabah Cabinet had agreed for the state to host the crucial meeting and that he had written to the Chief Minister to initiate the process.
"I wrote to the Chief Minister. It was based on his suggestion that Sabah host a meeting on June 30. The Prime Minister's Department (PMO) was informed, and the Chief Minister brought the letter to the Cabinet. Everyone agreed. We were supposed to send the letter to the PMO, but when we checked, it had not been sent," said Kitingan at the Sabah STAR ninth anniversary gathering launch on Tuesday (July 1).
Kitingan noted that the letter was supposed to be sent by the Sabah State Secretary's office.
In voicing frustration over the hiccups, he said it causes a setback to federal-state relations.
"I do not know why it was not sent, even though everything had been agreed upon. I have asked for an explanation and am still waiting. This meeting was supposed to mark real progress on the 40% revenue issue," he said.
In another development, Kitingan also expressed disappointment over recent developments concerning the Ambalat maritime boundary, criticising the lack of consultation with Sabah.
"That area falls within Sabah's territory. If that is true, and Sabah was not consulted, it is not right. We need clarification, and I will request an official explanation.
"If there has been a formal protest from Sabah, we will wait for a response. This may take time. I may raise the matter in the next parliamentary session," he said.
Kitingan was referring to the agreement between Malaysia and Indonesia to adopt a joint development approach to manage long-standing maritime border disputes, including the resource-rich and contested Ambalat Block.
This commitment was made during a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on June 27.
The Ambalat dispute dates back to the 1970s and centres around overlapping maritime claims in the Sulawesi Sea.
Meanwhile, former Chief Minister Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee is urging the Federal and Sabah governments to present the recent Malaysia-Indonesia bilateral agreement, particularly regarding the Ambalat Block, to both Parliament and the Sabah State Assembly for debate and transparency before any deal is finalised.
"Malaysia's claim over the Ambalat area has historical backing from the 2002 ICJ Ligitan-Sipadan ruling, and any move resembling the previous Blocks L and M controversy must be avoided," he said.
COMPLI
SABAH & SARAWAK, POLITICS
Keywords:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Indonesia targets 5 pct economic growth in 2025 amid global uncertainty
JAKARTA, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said on Tuesday that the government expected the economy to grow 5.0 percent this year. Although the 5.0 percent target is slightly lower than a 5.2 percent growth assumption in the state budget, Indrawati stressed that the government remains committed to mitigating risks stemming from global uncertainties to ensure the economy expands as planned. "We need to remain cautious against global risks so that the 5 percent outlook is maximized to remain achievable," she told lawmakers.
Free Malaysia Today
4 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Hajiji's aide files police report over ‘malicious' claims by businessman
Mazlan Joehari Manan (left), who is Sabah chief minister Hajiji Noor's special officer, lodged the report at the Tanjung Aru police station today. (Mazlan Joehari Manan pic) PETALING JAYA : An aide to Sabah chief minister Hajiji Noor has lodged a police report against a businessman for appearing to implicate the state leader in an alleged mining scandal. Mazlan Joehari Manan, who is Hajiji's special officer, lodged the report at the Tanjung Aru police station over statements made in a press conference given by Albert Tei outside the Kota Kinabalu court complex yesterday. In his report, Mazlan claimed that Tei's allegedly defamatory and baseless claims were later published on the Facebook page 'INFO X'. Tei was reported to have questioned why only a few people were charged in connection with the alleged mining scandal when the case implicated several 'big sharks'. Mazlan claimed Tei also implied that there was special treatment in the judicial process and questioned the delay in charges against other elected representatives. At the same press conference, Tei claimed he feared for his life, suggesting that there were efforts to silence him. 'These are serious accusations and amount to a grave and malicious attack on the chief minister,' Mazlan said. He said Tei made these remarks despite facing ongoing court proceedings, accusing him of attempting to influence public perception and create a 'trial by media'. Mazlan urged police to take action under Sections 500 and 504 of the Penal Code, Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act, and Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act. Yesterday, Tei was charged with two counts of giving bribes totalling RM350,000 related to mineral prospecting licence applications in the state. Sindumin assemblyman Dr Yusuf Yacob and Tanjung Batu assemblyman Andi Suryady Bandy, meanwhile, were charged with receiving RM200,000 and RM150,000, respectively. All three pleaded not guilty before judge Jason Juga at the special corruption court in Kota Kinabalu.
Free Malaysia Today
4 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
O&G consultant loses RM2.7mil to ‘Nova 88' investment scam
The victim realised he had been duped when each attempt to withdraw his purported profits required additional payments. PETALING JAYA : An oil and gas consultant in Perak lost over RM2.7 million to a non-existent investment scheme advertised on a website. Perak police chief Noor Hisam Nordin said the 37-year-old man lodged a report on June 29 at the Ipoh police headquarters, claiming he had been scammed through an online investment platform known as 'Nova 88'. He said preliminary investigations found the victim had registered an account on the website in April 2023 through a contact, now the main suspect, whom he had met via WhatsApp. The victim made an initial deposit of RM30,000 and was then given a user ID and password to monitor the supposed investment. 'Between Jan 5, 2024, and May 20, 2025, the victim made 136 fund transfers to seven different accounts, totalling RM2,701,687. 'The funds came from his savings and contributions from family members,' Bernama reported Noor Hisam as saying. He said the victim realised he had been duped when each attempt to withdraw his purported profits required additional payments. To date, he has been unable to access any returns, with the suspect having offered numerous excuses before eventually becoming unreachable. The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating. Noor Hisam advised the public to avoid any form of investment offered through unlicensed, unregistered or unregulated websites. 'Such investments carry high risks and can lead to significant financial losses. Always verify the background of any investment company with recognised authorities such as Bank Negara Malaysia or the Securities Commission,' he said.
