KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Ewon Benedick has urged the Sabah government to register the state's official claim with the Federal Government over the payment of the 40% tax revenue it owes to Sabah.

       The Upko president said the state had never formally submitted a request to demand Putrajaya settle the tax payment Sabah is entitled to under the Federal Constitution.

       Benedick, who is also the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister, said Sabah leaders might have expressed concern over the payment either in Parliament, the state assembly, or the media but pointed out this was insufficient.

       "This is because (these statements) cannot be made the basis for us to bring (the 40% revenue tax payment) to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 Implementation Action Council (MTPMA63) technical committee," he said at the Penampang service centre near on Monday (Jan 22).

       "It has to be based on an official letter of demand or claim by the Sabah government, which has never been done before.

       "So I hope the Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and his state Cabinet can discuss this in their meeting and then submit their claim to the Federal Cabinet to discuss this matter," said the Penampang MP.

       Benedick is a member of the MTPMA63 and the MTPMA63 technical committee, which Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof chairs.

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       He said he suggested to Hajiji to hold a meeting with the state cabinet over the matter as soon as possible as the Federal Government has given until July to resolve the payment mechanism.

       "The Madani government is the first to give such a timeline, but how will we discuss the mechanism if there is no official claim?" Benedick asked.