New federal govt still bullying Sabah and Sarawak, says opposition

(FMT) – A Sabah opposition party has accused the federal government of doing another U-turn on oil royalty, with Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng using legacy issues as the reason not to deliver on promises to Sabah and Sarawak.

Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah president Ationg Tituh said the latest development showed that Sabahans and Sarawakians continue to be bullied by the federal government, including Pakatan Harapan who came to power last year.

“Lim is telling the people in East Malaysia that he is not even thinking of fulfilling their (PH) election manifesto, and simply announcing that this can be delayed further. The question is how long do we have to wait … until their term ends?” he said in a statement today.

Lim had said that “the previous government caused an enormous amount of funds to either be wasted or put Malaysia in trouble” which posed a challenge in implementing promises.

READ MORE HERE: New party ready to fight for Sabah, will not work with any others to achieve goals

Tituh said Sabah and Sarawak received the least share of funds from the federal coffers despite being the two biggest sources of federal revenue. It was unfair the allocations to the two states suffered major cuts.

“It is our right to demand what is due to us … we do not see that we are asking too much, and in actual fact it is our constitutional right,” he said.

“Why should we be seen to be begging for more on oil royalty while it is rightfully ours?” he said. “Sabah and Sarawak are being squeezed dry to support the economy in Malaya.”

He said such unfair treatment had led many to question the wisdom of remaining in Malaysia.