PENAMPANG: The appointment of a representative from Sabah into the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) does not mean that the state has access to federal revenue collection.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan said despite having a representative from Sabah in the IRB, the onus was still on the federal government to furnish data.
"Even if he (Sabah representative in IRB) has (the federal revenue collection data), he cannot be the one who gives the data to us.
"It needs to be given by the federal government, but he can verify the data," he told a press conference on state-level Kaamatan festival at Hongkod Koisaan here.
Earlier, the Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku president, who attended the committee meeting related to Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) in Putrajaya yesterday, said the solution to Sabah's right to 40 per cent of the revenue would require the data and facts.
He said the Sabah government never received data about the revenue collection data despite having asked the federal government eight times.
He said instead, Sabah government will propose that it furnishes the data of the revenue which the state has collected.
"After it (the data) has been looked through and approved by the cabinet in the upcoming meeting, the sums would be handed to the MA63 committee and to be reviewed by the federal government," he said, adding the figures that Sabah have are also favourable.
As for the deadline on presenting those data after cabinet approval, he said it would be made before the July 18 deadline where a decision about the 40 per cent should be finalised.
Kitingan added that he hoped there would be a good decision from both state and federal government when the time comes.
In October last year, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs) Datuk Armizan Ali said the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia's appointment of Sabah and Sarawak representatives as board members will be further validated through legal enforcement.
Meanwhile, Kitingan said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadhillah Yusof had described yesterday's MA63 meeting as the longest as it finished four hours later at about 6.30pm.
Other issues discussed are tourism, autonomy, land, education and health.