The GRS presidential council reaffirmed its support for Anwar as the prime minister, describing him as inclusive, open, and having genuine regard for Sabahans.
It pointed out that through engagements between Anwar and the GRS-led state government over the past three years, 13 of 29 demands under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) have been fulfilled.
It nonetheless urged the federal government against appealing the Kota Kinabalu High Court’s Oct 17 decision ruling that Putrajaya acted unlawfully by failing to honour Sabah’s 40% share of federal revenue for nearly five decades.
Justice Celestina Stuel Galid had also declared the special grant arrangements made by both the federal and state governments as unconstitutional and unlawful.
The presidential council said it was prepared to hold meaningful engagements with Putrajaya in compliance with the court’s orders to review and finalise a new agreement on the 40% federal revenue share.
“We urge the prime minister and the federal government not to appeal the decision. Doing so would be to oppose the process of negotiation itself, not the outcome,” it said in a statement.
“The court has not imposed any financial quantum penalty, but only directed that the long-overdue constitutional review be carried out in accordance with Articles 112C and 112D of the constitution.
“Let this be the moment the federal government not only keeps its promises but begins to heal the decades of neglect felt by the people of Sabah. The prime minister will be remembered by all Sabahans and Malaysians as a leader who cares.”
The coalition’s top leadership said this was not merely a legal issue, but a matter of honouring the constitution, particularly Articles 112C and 112D, which form the basis of Sabah’s agreement to form Malaysia with Sarawak and Malaya.
“The judgment simply gives effect to what has always been written and agreed,” it said.
The presidential council noted that failure to channel the revenue due to Sabah had forced ordinary Sabahans to live with constant power and water cuts, unpaved roads, and poor access to quality public healthcare.
It said GRS will continue its “absolute and uncompromising” pursuit to regain Sabah’s complete entitlements under the constitution and MA63.
“When the lights go out in a child’s classroom, when a mother walks hours to reach a hospital, when our youths leave because they see no future here … those are not statistics. They are the real consequences of decades of inequity.
“Sabah’s claim is not a demand, but a right. It is a constitutional duty that transcends governments and political terms. Upholding it demonstrates that Malaysia is governed by law and good faith, not convenience,” it said.