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Free Malaysia Today
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Sabah Umno ‘ready to make waves' at state polls, says Salleh
Sabah Umno treasurer Salleh Said Keruak speaking to members of the party's election machinery at a gathering in Kemabong, Tenom, today. (Facebook pic) PETALING JAYA : Sabah Umno is fully prepared for the coming state assembly elections, with its extensive grassroots network ready to be mobilised, says the party's state treasurer, Salleh Said Keruak. Salleh, who is state assemblyman for Usukan said the party now boasts 5,912 branches and 612,867 registered members across the state. 'If we mobilise this strength with discipline and strategy, it will create a significant wave across the state,' he said. 'We do not wait for election season to start moving – our machinery is always active and alive,' he said at a gathering of Sabah Umno election workers in Tenom. Salleh said Sabah Umno's real strength lies in its active grassroots branches which consistently engage with local communities, and in its organisational discipline and structured field operations. 'We don't need to make noise, but we must be ready. And Sabah Umno is already on the right track,' he said.
Borneo Post
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Salleh: Power must be shared, not controlled in Sabah politics
Salleh KOTA KINABALU (June 15): Former Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak has issued a strong reminder to political coalitions in the state: power must be shared fairly, not dominated by a single party. In a statement that underscores the importance of equality and mutual respect among coalition partners, Salleh said no party should act like it is the 'boss' of a coalition. 'In today's politics, no party should act like it's the boss of a coalition. Every party brings its own strength and deserves to be treated as an equal partner,' the Usukan assemblyman said on his Facebook page on Sunday. The Umno Sabah treasurer stressed that successful coalitions are built on shared leadership, collective responsibility, and fair representation not unilateral control. 'A good coalition is built on shared leadership and fair power-sharing — not control by one dominant party. All decisions, responsibilities and representation must be discussed and agreed together,' Salleh said. According to him, what matters most is having a common agenda that all partners support, particularly when it comes to development, good governance and defending Sabah's rights. While he acknowledged the importance of fairly representing Sabah's major communities, Bumiputera Muslim, non-Muslim Bumiputera, and non-Bumiputera, Salleh said that representation alone is not enough without real power-sharing among parties. 'Fair representation of Sabah's main communities is important, but that alone is not enough. Power must also be shared fairly among all coalition partners. Every party must have a real role and a fair say in shaping decisions,' he added. Salleh pointed out that Sabah's political strength lies in its diversity, and a stable coalition must reflect this reality. 'A strong coalition must reflect Sabah's diversity. Every group deserves a voice and a place at the table,' he said. He also emphasised that true stability comes from trust, fairness and inclusion. 'Stability comes from trust and fairness. When everyone feels respected and involved, the coalition becomes stronger and more united,' Salleh said. Calling for a shift in political mindset, he urged parties in Sabah to move away from outdated models of control and towards genuine teamwork. 'It's time to move beyond old ways of thinking. Sabah needs a coalition that works as a team, not one party calling all the shots while others are expected to just follow,' he said.
Free Malaysia Today
23-05-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Sabah's 20% oil royalty demand still relevant, says ex-CM
Former chief minister Salleh Said Keruak said Sabah's call for a 20% oil royalty from Petronas should not be buried by talks on the 40% revenue return from Putrajaya. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : Sabah's long-standing demand for a 20% oil royalty from Petronas should not be sidelined by moves to involve the state in downstream oil and gas activities, says former chief minister Salleh Said Keruak. Welcoming efforts to involve Sabah in downstream sectors such as petrochemical processing and refining, Salleh said such moves were a step toward local empowerment but must not be seen as a replacement for direct revenue entitlements. 'Royalty refers to direct revenue from resource extraction – a matter of entitlement, not merely economic collaboration,' he said in a statement today. Sabah currently receives a 5% royalty from Petronas under a 1976 agreement, but the state has consistently argued this is insufficient, given its role as a major contributor to the country's oil and gas output. The call for a 20% royalty was a key campaign promise of Pakatan Harapan in 2018, but was not implemented during its time in federal power. The Usukan assemblyman also said that while discussions on the 40% revenue return from Putrajaya should continue, they must not overshadow the original and still relevant demand for the 20% royalty. Salleh said the push for higher oil royalties once united Sabahans in their demand for a fairer share of the state's natural wealth and remains a 'just and relevant' aspiration today. At the same time, he acknowledged the shift in focus to Sabah's constitutional right to receive 40% of net federal revenue collected from the state, as stipulated under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63). 'However, the reality is that its implementation remains unclear and is often debated from various legal and technical perspectives. 'In comparison, the oil royalty demand is more straightforward. It does not require complex interpretations – just mutual political will and understanding between the state and federal governments,' he said. Sabah politicians have repeatedly urged Putrajaya to honour the 40% revenue-sharing formula enshrined in the Federal Constitution. Use of the formula has been suspended since 1974, with the federal government paying increased special grants to Sabah and Sarawak. Meanwhile, the Sabah Law Society has been granted leave to pursue a judicial review of the state's 40% revenue entitlement. The case is scheduled to be heard on July 7.
