KOTA KINABALU, April 6 (Bernama) -- The federal government has always been generous to Sabah and has provided billions of allocation to spur the state's development, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said.
It was therefore important to keep this in mind when talking about petroleum royalty, he said, stressing that the federal government had done a lot to accommodate Sabah's needs over the years.
"What is important now is not only talking about (an increase in) oil royalty but how much money the federal government has kept on pouring to Sabah in terms of development.
"We are very grateful because the federal government normally approves our requests. As far as the state government is concerned, we are very happy with the way Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has been treating us," he told reporters after launching the k@Borneo Portal here, Tuesday.
The portal, which can be accessed at www.kborneo.com, is a collaborative effort of three nations, namely Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei to identify, preserve and store information materials regarding Borneo online.
Musa was asked to comment on former Finance Minister Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah's statement that it was up to the people of Sabah to call on the state government to re-negotiate the oil royalty, which is currently at five per cent, with the federal government and Petronas.
Musa said Sabah received billions of funding for every Malaysia Plan, and also through Sabah Development Corridor (SDC) projects and injection of fund under the economic stimulus package.
"It's not a matter of pursuing (the increase of oil royalty), it is our money.
"But even if they (federal government) decide not to increase the percentage, they have given more money to the state; so, it's the same," he said, adding that Sabah was allocated more than RM20 billion for the current Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP).
-- BERNAMA
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=488377
