KUCHING, Nov 26 2025: Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) president Voon Lee Shan has urged the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government to demand a fair revenue deal from the federal government for the state.
Voon Lee Shan: The time for a stronger, fairer deal for Sarawak is now. Sarawakians deserve nothing less
He said GPS should openly and unequivocally demand that the federal government extend a 40 per cent revenue entitlement formula to Sarawak, comparable to what is constitutionally provided for Sabah.
He said GPS should also table a clear, time-bound negotiation plan and publicly report progress to the people of Sarawak.
“The GPS government must also assert Sarawak’s constitutional rights and financial autonomy in a manner befitting a government entrusted with governing a resource-rich state,” Voon said in a statement.
“If GPS refuses, delays or fails to secure a fair fiscal arrangement for Sarawak, this failure must be viewed as a political incompetence and a dereliction of their duty to protect Sarawak’s interests,” Voon stressed.
He reminded that Sarawakians are no longer willing to accept excuses, saying “If Sabah can assert its rights and secure what is owed to it under the Federal Constitution, Sarawak must demand no less.”
He said anything short of that is a failure of leadership.
He believed that Sarawak’s future, development, and dignity depend on a government that has the courage to negotiate decisively, defend the state’s rights, and ensure that the state’s resources benefit the people.
“If GPS cannot or will not do this, then Sarawakians must reconsider whether GPS is capable of carrying the mandate of the people.
“The time for a stronger, fairer deal for Sarawak is now. Sarawakians deserve nothing less, “ he demanded.
He noted that the recent affirmation of Sabah’s constitutional right to a 40 per cent return of federal revenue has once again highlighted a stark and troubling disparity in the treatment of the Borneo states.
He added while Sabah has successfully asserted its entitlement, Sarawak continues to receive far less despite its immense contribution to Malaysia’s economy — particularly through oil and gas.
“Sarawakians have every reason to question why our state government, led by GPS, has failed to secure an equally strong fiscal arrangement for Sarawak,” he stressed.
He reminded that Sarawak was a founding partner in the formation of Malaysia, saying that it is unacceptable that, more than 60 years later, “we remain without a revenue-sharing mechanism that reflects the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963, the legitimate expectations of Sarawakians, and the principles of equity between the federation’s components.”
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