Zainnal Ajamain, an advocate for the rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 to be restored, said this in reference to the opposition coalition’s promise to return 50% of net revenue collected by the federal government in Sabah and Sarawak.
“In making such over-the-top promises, PH is in effect taking away a sizeable chunk of the budget to be used in the peninsula,” he said, adding that it would have a major implication on the operation expenditure by Putrajaya in the peninsula.
“This is because the reality is Sabah and Sarawak are two of the largest contributors to the national economy with two-thirds of the federal budget coming from the two states, mainly due to the oil and gas industry.”
According to him, Petronas has been reported to pay between RM30 and 40 billion to Putrajaya.
“Some players in the industry have been quoted as saying that Sabah and Sarawak contribute about 50% of that oil and gas revenue.
“Does Pakatan Harapan realise the impact of giving Sabah and Sarawak 50% of federal income derived from Sabah and Sarawak, giving RM15 billion to Sabah for rural infrastructure development and increasing oil royalty payment from 5% to 20%?” he asked.
Therefore, he said if PH were to make good on their promise, then a PH government must reduce the Federal operating expenses drastically.
“If the voters in the peninsula realise the implication of this promise, they would abandon PH in a heartbeat,” he said.
Alternatively, he said the PH government could increase its income through existing mechanisms such as GST or increase the pump price of fuel.
However, Zainnal said any of these actions will make Malaysians as a whole feel cheated by PH.
“Perhaps PH may escape all these problems provided that they say one thing in Sabah and Sarawak and another thing in Malaya. But the outcome will be the same – the credibility of Pakatan Harapan will be seriously put in doubt,” he said.
He had previously received much criticism from PH supporters after he said PH is selling false hope to Sabahans.
Zainnal, who is also the author of “Halatuju: Pembangunan dan Kemajuan Negeri Sabah” that forms the base for the present Sabah Development Corridor, was even accused of being a Barisan Nasional lackey, an allegation which he fiercely denies.
“All I am doing is upholding and defending the MA63. My struggle is to ensure the spirit and letter of the agreement are followed through.
“I am only interested in getting back our special rights, free from politics. Therefore, those who want to fight for Sabah rights using MA63 had better get their facts right,” he said.
Pakatan Harapan selling false hope in Sabah, says MA63 activist
Power to restore state rights rests with Putrajaya, Sabahans told