KOTA KINABALU: July 23, 2026 – Appointed Assemblyman Datuk Roger Chin has urged the Sabah government to pursue amendments to the Federal Constitution, if necessary, to enable revenue collection to be carried out at source before the portion allocated to the federal government is channelled under the Constitution.
In his winding-up speech at the Sabah State Legislative Assembly sitting today, he said the proposal was not intended to alter the federal government’s financial rights or to reopen financial arrangements already established under the Federal Constitution.
“If the current constitutional framework does not permit such an arrangement, then the state government should make it a constitutional priority to secure the necessary amendments and reforms to enable its implementation,” he said.
Roger said the proposal merely involves the administrative method of public revenue – namely, that revenue generated in Sabah is collected, recorded and verified in the state first, before the federal portion is channelled according to constitutional provisions.
He said such an approach could enhance transparency, accountability and efficiency in revenue administration without undermining the federal government’s financial rights.
“This proposal is not intended to reduce the federal government’s financial rights, nor does it suggest that Sabah should retain revenue constitutionally allocated to the federal government,” he said.
He noted that technological advances – such as digital financial systems, real-time reporting and modern auditing methods – now allow public revenue to be managed more accurately and transparently than when the existing system was first introduced.
According to him, public revenue is not merely a figure in financial records, but rather the means by which roads are built, hospitals are maintained, schools are improved and opportunities for economic growth are created.
“Public revenue is not collected for its own sake. It is through public revenue that roads are built, hospitals are maintained, schools are improved, and opportunities for economic growth are created,” he said.
Roger said the Sabah government needs to demonstrate political commitment to realise the proposal through legitimate constitutional channels and to build understanding with the federal government if constitutional amendments are required.
He said efforts to strengthen the revenue administration system do not contradict the Constitution, but instead can strengthen the institutions that underpin the relationship between Sabah and the federal government – in line with modern governance needs and the interests of future generations.
