Sabah Must Not Be Fooled — We Have Not Won. This Is Only the Beginning.

 

Friday, 14 November 2025 

Many Sabahans felt relieved when the Prime Minister announced that the Federal Government will not appeal the High Court ruling affirming Sabah’s constitutional right to 40% of all federal revenue collected from the state.

But Sabah must not be deceived.

This is not victory.

This is only a fraction of the battle.

Because while the government refuses to appeal the outcome of the ruling, it is actively appealing the most critical part — the part where the judge states that the Federal and Sabah Governments had breached constitutional duties since 1974.

This is the part they are trying to erase from the record.

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What Does This Mean? Why Is This Dangerous?

A court judgment has two components:

1. The Operative Order

This is the enforceable decision affirming Sabah’s right to 40%.

The government is not appealing this.

2. The Written Grounds

These are the judge’s explanations, including findings that:

• the Federal Government violated Sabah’s rights for decades

• the 2021 Special Grant review was unlawful and irrational

• Sabah’s leaders previously failed to protect the state’s constitutional position

This is the part Putrajaya wants removed.

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The Consequences: What Happens If the Government Succeeds?

1. There will be no official record that Sabah was ever wronged

If the appeal succeeds, future governments can simply say:

“We never violated Sabah’s rights.

The court never said that.”

This is an attempt to rewrite history.

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2. Sabah loses a crucial legal weapon

If the judge’s language is struck out:

• future lawsuits become harder,

• future claims become weaker,

• future generations lose a judicial precedent proving Sabah’s rights were ignored.

This weakens Sabah for decades to come.

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3. Negotiations may drag on endlessly

Without the pressure of a harsh judicial finding, Putrajaya can delay implementation with familiar phrases:

• “We are studying the mechanism.”

• “Technical issues need time.”

• “We need more data.”

• “Let the committees review it.”

Negotiations could stretch for years, or even to the next government.

And as history shows, a new government may simply restart or ignore the process.

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4. Sabah will continue receiving crumbs instead of constitutional rights

The “Gardenia mindset” remains alive:

• small allocations,

• token projects,

• superficial gestures

— used to pacify Sabahans.

Meanwhile, billions owed under the 40% continue to be withheld.

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5. A false sense of victory will weaken Sabah’s struggle

If Sabahans believe “we’ve already won,” they will lower their guard.

And that’s exactly when rights are quietly diluted or delayed.

A complacent public is the federal government’s greatest advantage.

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6. Future generations may grow up believing Sabah was never wronged

If the court’s criticisms vanish from the written ruling:

• students will not learn the truth,

• the next generation will think the 40% issue was merely a “negotiation,”

• the historical theft of Sabah’s revenue will be forgotten.

This is how injustice perpetuates — by erasing the memory of what happened.

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What Must Sabah Do?

Sabah has only one weapon:

the people’s vote.

If we want the 40% returned,

if we want history preserved,

if we want justice for the next generation —

then Sabahans must act at the ballot box.

Use your vote to protest.

• Reject those who trivialize the 40%.

• Reject those who serve Putrajaya before Sabah.

• Reject those who tell Sabah to accept crumbs.

• Reject those who remained silent while Sabah’s rights were taken.

Silence is surrender.

Complacency is defeat.

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