Kota Kinabalu, Monday, 10 November 2025
The direct verbal exchange between a Sabahan and the Prime Minister at the Gaya Street Sunday Fair is a fore taste of the anger of ordinary Sabahans over the unfair treatment of the federal government towards Sabah.
The Gaya Street encounter, which overshadowed the PKR announcement of their election candidates later in the evening, is an early warning to the thousands of campaigners from Peninsula Malaysia who are reported to be coming to Sabah to help their parties and candidates in the election campaign.
Own Goal by Team Captain
Based on my own gut feelings and on social media responses, the street encounter between PMX versus Sabahan is a political own goal by the team captain. As the PM is at the highest level of both party and government, his words have the highest authority of government.
So, the question of whether the federal government will appeal the High Court judgement on the 40% claim or not has already been answered.
“40% of what?”
The most striking and revealing remark of PM at Gaya Street was “40% of what?”
The 40% formula has been around ever since 1963. PMX was in the 1990s and is now again the Finance Minister.
In fact, the PM (when he was in the opposition in 2006) had given his forward in the book JUSTICE FOR SABAH by Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan. That book spelt out the 40% claim, in English and Bahasa Melayu.
In recent years, Sabah has repeatedly pursued the 40% claim. The Sabah Law Society legal action has also stated the formula of the 40% claim. How is it that the PM cum Finance Minster still doesn’t know what the 40% is about?
Datuk Yong Teck Lee
President SAPP
Ex-Chief Minister