KOTA KINABALU – The Sabah government will respect the Court of Appeal’s decision to allow a stay on the implementation of a High Court order related to the state’s special grant, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said.
The appellate court had granted the Federal Government’s application to temporarily suspend the High Court’s directive, which required a review of Sabah’s entitlement and a resolution within 180 days on the payment of its 40 per cent share of federal revenue. 
Hajiji described the stay order as procedural in nature, stressing that it preserves the current position pending the outcome of the appeal and does not nullify the High Court’s earlier ruling.
“Although court proceedings are ongoing, negotiations should continue in good faith towards reaching an agreement with the Federal Government,” he said in a statement.
He reiterated that the Sabah government had objected to the stay but would nevertheless respect the latest court decision.
Hajiji also pointed out that the Federal Government had not appealed the High Court’s October 2025 decision affirming Sabah’s constitutional right to 40 per cent of net federal revenue collected from the state, adding that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had pledged to honour the ruling.
The appeal hearing is tentatively scheduled between October 27 and 30 this year, with an e-review set for April 13 to confirm the dates. -MalayaDailyToday
