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Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Halt Sabah tax collection until revenue sharing sorted, says Yong
SAPP president Yong Teck Lee said the federal government should not delay making annual payments of at least RM2 billion to Sabah. (Facebook pic) PETALING JAYA : Tax collection should be suspended in Sabah until the state receives its full entitlement of net shared revenue, says Yong Teck Lee, a deputy chairman of the ruling GRS coalition. Yong, a former chief minister, said Sabah continues to miss out on its share of revenue to which it is entitled under the constitution. He said this year's RM600 million special grant from Putrajaya, though an increase from previous years, was 'a figure plucked out from nowhere'. 'We call on the federal government to honour the 40% net revenue entitlement without further delay,' Yong said in a statement. 'Until then, tax enforcement in Sabah should be re-evaluated, paused if necessary, and guided by consultation with the Sabah government and Sabah business organisations.' Yong, who is president of the Sabah Progressive Party, also questioned Kota Kinabalu City Hall's partnership with the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) to identify inactive taxpayers in Sabah, arguing that these were mostly petty traders and not big-time tax evaders. He said enforcing tax compliance as petty traders battled rising costs and the people's declining purchasing power would only damage the local economy. 'DBKK should stop aligning with federal LHDN enforcement while the billions owed to this region remain unpaid. It should stop playing the role of federal tax collector to hunt down the so-called inactive tax payers.' Yong said LHDN recently announced it had collected RM5.7 billion in taxes from Sabah last year, and hoped to collect RM6.2 billion in 2025. He said the amount was equal to an average of RM6 billion in taxes collected in these two years, of which 40% would amount to RM2.4 billion. 'There is absolutely no reason for the federal government to delay making annual payments of at least RM2 billion to the Sabah government,' said Yong. The revenue sharing formula has been a contentious issue for decades. Sabah politicians have called for the federal government to honour Sabah's entitlement to 40% of the amount which exceeds the net revenue derived in 1963. Use of the formula has been suspended since 1974, with the federal government paying increased special grants to Sabah and Sarawak. The Sabah Law Society has been granted leave to pursue a judicial review of the state's revenue entitlement, with the case to be heard on July 7.
Free Malaysia Today
27-05-2025
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
Ex-Sabah CM ‘disgusted' with parties' fixation on seats instead of issues
Former Sabah chief minister Yong Teck Lee said many Sabahans had no idea about the issues that political parties would champion and fight for if elected. (Facebook pic) PETALING JAYA : Former Sabah chief minister Yong Teck Lee has urged political parties to talk about the issues they want to champion instead of the number of seats they want to contest in the upcoming state election. The Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president said he was disgusted with reports of parties scrambling for seats, including entities from Peninsular Malaysia, The Borneo Post reported. Yong said Sabahans want to know what the political parties were championing and would fight for if elected to form the next Sabah government. 'So far, Sabahans like myself have no idea what some political parties and leaders are fighting for. They only talk about seats, seats and more seats. 'How about talking about the issues for this coming Sabah election?' he was quoted as saying. Yong took aim at Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) in particular, questioning whether the two coalitions would push for Sabah and Sarawak to be allocated 35% of parliamentary seats in the country and other issues as stipulated under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63). 'Everyone, including Malayan parties, have joined the bandwagon of championing MA63 after the 2008 general election when BN for the first time lost its two-thirds parliamentary majority,' he added. SAPP is a component of ruling state coalition Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), led by Hajiji Noor. GRS and PH are currently allies in Hajiji's state administration while BN sits in the opposition. However, PH and BN have announced an alliance for the state polls, while talks are ongoing to include GRS in the pact. On Sunday, PKR deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar expressed hope that her party would be able to contest a minimum of 13 seats in the upcoming Sabah election. The following day, Sabah DAP deputy chief Chan Foong Hin said the state chapter was eyeing at least 10 seats in the state polls. Sabah Umno had said it hoped to contest 40 seats in the 17th state election. SAPP's fellow GRS component Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku said today that the party was looking to contest 15 seats, while Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah vice-president Masiung Banah said GRS was eyeing 52 seats at least.
Borneo Post
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Seats, seats and seats! What about the issues? - Yong
Yong Teck Lee KOTA KINABALU (May 27): Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Datuk Yong Teck Lee is disgusted by the ongoing scramble for seats among political parties, including those from seberang (across the seas), as though the seats belong to them. In fact and in a democracy, all the seats belong to the people, not the political parties, he said. 'People want to know what the political parties are fighting for. What can the people expect from the parties and leaders if they won? So far, people, including myself, have no idea what some political parties and leaders are fighting for. So far, the politicians talk only about seats, seats and more seats. 'How about talking about the issues for this coming Sabah elections? Don't be like, 'Dogs chase cars' without any idea what to do after the dog has caught up with the car!' he said in a statement on Tuesday. Unlike the pre-2008 era of a dominant Malaya-centric federal government, Yong said today's new Malaysia political landscape allows Sabah and Sarawak to claim autonomy. 'Do other parties share SAPP's unwavering stand on Sabah ICs for genuine Malaysians in Sabah? Do they commit to demand the return of Labuan to Sabah? 'How about the crucially meaningful reverting of the title of the Head of State to TYT Negara (and not TYT Negeri)? 'Everyone, including Malaya parties, have joined the bandwagon of MA63 after the window of opportunity opened in 2008 when BN first lost its two-thirds parliamentary majority. 'But what is the stand of the political parties on the 40% net revenue and the Territorial Sea Act 2012? Can the federal government not drop its delaying tactics at the courts of law?' asked Yong. He also questioned the strange silence of PH parties and BN parties on the fulfilment of MA63. 'Which party will fearlessly champion that the 40% net revenue claim is RM2.6 billion per annum? Does any of the parties in PH and BN champion that 35% of parliamentary seats belong given back to Sabah and Sarawak? 'Which parties will commit to land reforms for Sabahans so that Sabahans do not become landless now and in the future? 'Why does Sabah have to accept the import of overpriced, substandard kiosks (or gerai) from Peninsula to Sabah? Is Sabah so incapable of making simple things like kiosks? What do we have KKIP (Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park) for? 'Why does Sabah tolerate the use of toilet contractors for toilets at the Kota Kinabalu airport? This is a laughing matter that shames Sabahans. 'Why does Sabah accept the KL companies to manage car parks and car parking apps? Have Sabahans become so useless?' he added.
The Star
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Tackle Sabah's issues instead of bickering over seats, SAPP tells parties
KOTA KINABALU: As political parties scramble for seats ahead of the Sabah state election, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) has called them out for seeming to ignore issues affecting the people. The party said voters deserve to hear concrete plans on autonomy, land reforms, and Sabah's rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) – not just endless negotiations over who gets to contest where. SAPP president Datuk Yong Teck Lee said many Sabahans, himself included, still have no idea what some political parties and leaders are fighting for. ALSO READ: Sabah polls: State parties risk becoming 'dogs chasing cars', says SAPP president 'So far, the politicians talk only about seats, seats and more seats. How about talking about the issues for the coming Sabah elections? "Don't be like dogs chasing cars without any idea of what to do after catching up with the car," he reiterated in a statement on Tuesday (May 27). Yong, who was Sabah chief minister from 1996 to 1998, asked if these parties were willing to take firm stands on issues in the state, such as issuing Sabah identity cards to bona fide Malaysian citizens and the demand for Labuan to be returned to Sabah. He also highlighted the lack of political will to fight for the restoration of one-third of parliamentary seat representation to Sabah and Sarawak, saying this was fundamental to restoring balance within the federation. He further criticised the silence of major political blocs, including those in Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional, on the 40% net revenue entitlement and the Territorial Sea Act 2012. ALSO READ: Introduce a 'Sabah IC' to settle citizenship issues for good, says ex-CM Yong 'Which party will fearlessly champion that the 40% net revenue claim is RM2.6bil per annum?' he asked. Yong also questioned the continued reliance on Peninsular Malaysian companies for infrastructure and services in Sabah. 'Is Sabah so incapable of making simple things like kiosks? What do we have KKIP (Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park) for?' he said. He urged political leaders to stop treating Sabah as a battleground for seats and instead prove they are serious about reforms that matter to ordinary Sabahans.
Borneo Post
19-05-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
Revert to free parking at Foh Sang Parking Building - SAPP
SAPP Luyang CLC chairman Gee Tien Siong with former MPs for Gaya (Datuk Philip Yong, Datuk Liew Teck Chan, Datuk Yong Teck Lee), and current SAPP Api-Api CLC chairman Wong Vui Khim and other leaders, as well as Likas CLC chairman Chin Vui Kai at Foh Sang Parking Building. KOTA KINABALU (May 19): Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) on Monday reiterated its stand that Kota Kinabalu City Hall should adopt the original concept of the multi-storey car park at Foh Sang instead of commercialising and disrupting the long-established businesses and local people's livelihood at Foh Sang and Bornion Centre in Luyang. As envisaged by the team of experts led by the late senior consultant engineer Datuk Terence Chong Nyim Fatt, the original concept of the Foh Sang Parking Building was to provide free car parking and to provide municipal services such as collection of house and shop assessment rates, licensing matters and dog license application and renewal in a designated area. Instead, this area intended for public services has now been turned into a marketplace for hawkers. This new facility and City Hall services would improve the entire Foh Sang and Bornion Centre environment, smoothen traffic flow, and add vibrancy to the area. The late Chong, who at the time was the chairman of SAPP Api-Api Constituency Liaison Committee (CLC), had discussed this with the then Kota Kinabalu Municipal Council engineers and planners. That was in 1997-1998. However, after changes of government ministers and the Asian Financial Crisis of 1998, the project was put on hold. In the past, Foh Sang was part of the constituency of Api-Api (and Gaya parliamentary constituency) before the Luyang constituency was created. The car park is also supposed to house a police pondok (beat base) to replace the previous police pondok across the road. In order to encourage off-street parking, the multi-storey car park was planned to be free of charge. What has happened now is sadly an abrupt disruption to the livelihood and smooth conduct of businesses in the area. The imposition of a higher parking rate and longer chargeable hours discourages usage, failing to attract vehicles off the street and thus not freeing up spaces for quick drop-offs in Foh Sang and Bornion Centre. Therefore, the multistory car park objective to ease on-street traffic congestion as originally intended has been badly undermined. Previously, residents and visitors could use the open-space car park, which included approximately 50 parking bays, free of charge during public holidays and after office hours. But now these parking bays have disappeared with the site's redevelopment. Moreover, the building offers a new exclusive monthly pass at RM80, and doesn't accept the RM50 on-street monthly pass. Additionally, enforcement actions have been stepped up to summon vehicles parked alongside roads. SAPP, which initiated the successful annual Chinese New Year and Mid-Autumn celebrations at Foh Sang ever since many years ago, on Monday reiterated that the original concept of free car parking at the multistory car park must be restored with immediate effect. An operational police pondok at the multi-storey car park is also urgent because of a recent robbery against a fruit hawker last week. Never before had any robbery happened at Foh Sang hawkers stalls.
