Armizan: CCUS Act shows why Sabah needs strong local party leadership
TENOM (July 5): The enactment of the Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) Act 2025, which applies only to Peninsular Malaysia, underscores the importance of having a strong local party as the backbone of the Sabah State Government, said Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) deputy secretary Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali.
Speaking at the official opening of the PGRS Melalap division's annual conference here on Saturday, Armizan reminded delegates that safeguarding Sabah's rights requires a careful balance between national and local political forces.
'It is crucial to ensure that local parties form the core of the State Government. This guarantees that Federal-State relations are inter-governmental in nature — not merely intra-party,' he said.
Citing the recent passage of the CCUS Act 2025, Armizan said the law initially sought nationwide implementation.
'But the Federal Cabinet later agreed to limit its application to only Peninsular Malaysia and Labuan after hearing the views of the Sabah Government led by GRS, and the Sarawak Government led by GPS,' he explained.
He attributed the decision to a Federal leadership that respects Sabah and Sarawak's special positions under the Federal Constitution and the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), and that is open to constructive engagement with the two State Governments.
'This is the benefit of having a different core at each level of government. The Federal Government is led by a national coalition, while the State Government is anchored by local parties. This setup ensures state interests are debated government-to-government—not lost in internal party politics,' he said.
Armizan contrasted this with the Territorial Sea Act (TSA) 2012, which restricts Sabah's territorial waters to just three nautical miles.
'Today, some leaders are vocal in opposing the TSA 2012. But where were they then? Some were Members of Parliament and even Federal ministers when the Bill was passed in 2012,' he said in a Facebook post.
He pointed out that the Sabah Government under GRS has consistently maintained that the TSA 2012 does not apply to Sabah, as it was never tabled or passed in the State Legislative Assembly.
'This is the historical record of certain parties and leaders. They cannot erase it. They must explain why they only now choose to speak up,' he added.
Armizan said two key factors explain the difference in outcomes between the TSA 2012 and the CCUS Act 2025:
1. In 2012, both the Federal and State Governments were dominated by the same national party.
2. In 2025, Sabah's State Government is led by a local party, while the Federal Government remains nationally focused.
He also noted that nearly every Sabah MP in 2012 was part of a national coalition and bound by its decisions, including how to vote in Parliament.
Armizan clarified that Sabah does not reject national parties entirely, pointing out that the current State Government still includes representatives from Pakatan Harapan (PH).
'But what matters is that the core must remain local to keep Sabah's interests at the forefront. Only then can issues affecting the State be resolved through true government-to-government engagement, not just internal party discussions,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Express
2 hours ago
- Daily Express
Armizan on hypocrisy of certain Sabah leaders in past Federal Cabinet representing peninsula parties: Sabah parties must lead Sabah
Published on: Sunday, July 06, 2025 Published on: Sun, Jul 06, 2025 By: Hayati Dzulkifli Text Size: The national parties form the backbone at the federal level, and local parties form the backbone at the state level, a political model that must be maintained,' Armizan said. Tenom: Sabahans must ensure that Sabah-based parties form the backbone of future Sabah governments so that Sabah's interests and rights will always be protected. Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) Deputy Sec-Gen Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said his advice is justified based on past bitter experiences, citing the passing of the controversial Territorial Sea Act in 2012 (TSA 2012) – which limits state powers to only three nautical miles from the shore. Advertisement Saying this must never be repeated, he noted that there were leaders who were silent like mice when the TSA was tabled and passed in Parliament back in 2012, but are now vocal about state rights. Although he did not identify them, it is believed that he was referring to leaders in Sabah Umno and Barisan Nasional. 'There are leaders who were Members of Parliament (MPs) or even federal ministers in 2012. They should explain why they are only raising objections now (on the TSA). 'Why did they not protest when the Bill was tabled in Cabinet and Parliament in 2012 until it became law? These are records of parties and leaders that cannot be erased from history,' he added. The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister said this is why it is crucial that the backbone of the state government must be a local party to keep Sabah's priorities at the forefront. 'The core of the Federal and State Governments should come from different parties that ensures the relationship between the Federal and State Governments remains inter-governmental, not merely intra-party. 'This kind of relationship underpins the current alignment where the Federal Government's core is Pakatan Harapan (PH), while the State Government's core is GRS. The national parties form the backbone at the federal level, and local parties form the backbone at the state level, a political model that must be maintained,' he said. Armizan was speaking at the annual meeting of Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (PGRS) of Melalap, here, on Saturday. He said a clear example of the importance of maintaining this political model is in the drafting of the Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) Act 2025, which was passed in Parliament in March 2025 (Dewan Rakyat on March 6, 2025, Dewan Negara on March 25 2025). He said the CCUS Act only applies for peninsula after getting Sabah, Sarawak's input. 'The original plan was for the CCUS Bill to cover the entire country. However, following feedback from the Sabah government under GRS and the Sarawak government under GPS, the Federal Cabinet agreed to limit its application to Peninsular Malaysia and FT Labuan. 'This was made possible because the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is committed to recognising the special position of Sabah and Sarawak as provided in the Federal Constitution and the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63),' he said. While emphasising that Sabah does not reject national parties, Armizan who is also Member of Parliament for Papar pointed out that Sabah Cabinet also includes PH elected people representatives. 'This ensures state matters are always discussed within the structure of inter-governmental relations, and not negotiated internally within a single party first,' he said. Armizan attributed the difference in outcomes between 2012 and 2025 to two factors: first, in 2012 both the federal and state governments were led and dominated by the same national party, unlike today where the federal core is a national party and the state core is a local party. Secondly, he said almost all of Sabah's MPs at the time were in national parties or coalitions and thus bound by national party decisions, which dictated their votes in Parliament. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
The Sabah scandal: is it about minerals or power?
AND just like that, the Sabah minerals controversy took a twist. It was a classic Langkah Billiards, which is my theory of the unintended consequences of creating a political plot to bring down Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, and his Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government. On June 28, less than 48 hours before two Sabah YBs and the so-called whistleblower were charged with corruption, six politicians from GRS were implicated. It seemed to me that the intention of revealing their names was the extension of a plot to make the Sabah-based coalition guilty in the court of public perception. In November last year, the plotters released allegedly doctored videos to implicate 1) Umno assemblymen who did not support ousting Hajiji in January 2023; and 2) the top five leaders of Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (PGRS) – the backbone of the GRS coalition – in an alleged Sabah minerals corruption. The insider story behind the November 2024 'exposé' is that it was 1) revenge against the Umno assemblymen who supported Hajiji as CM; and 2) to weaken the PGRS leadership (president Hajiji, the deputy president, and the three vice-presidents were implicated). Those in the know knew that there were other supposedly doctored videos featuring leaders of GRS component parties such as Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and Sabah Star. The question was why the plotters did not release the names of the people implicated in those videos. What's whispered about is that the exposé was the execution of a blackmail plot against Hajiji for not 'behaving' – ie, 'don't approve our prospecting license applications, face a political earthquake'. The plotters used the same tactic on PBS and Sabah STAR leaders: 'behave' – ie, 'ditch Hajiji and GRS and join us, or be dragged into the Sabah minerals scandal'. Last week, six top leaders – three from PBS and three from Sabah Star – were dragged into the situation. An anonymous source released their names and alleged their involvement in the controversy. Since these leaders (one of whom is no longer active in politics) refused to be blackmailed, it looks like the plotters decided to bring down the CM by 'exposing' the two major parties in his coalition. Now these leaders are being judged in the court of public perception on whether they were involved in receiving bribes or shady political donations. So what's the latest twist to the PBS and Sabah STAR revelation? The unintended consequence of the Langkah Billiards is that a new narrative has emerged. It is something that those in the know knew about but did not discuss in the media. The narrative is personified by Sabah STAR president Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, who doesn't fear political plots as he is a previous Internal Security Act detainee. Kitingan, who is also Sabah's deputy Chief Minister, told the media that the corruption allegations levelled against his party and himself are part of a broader political conspiracy aimed at destabilising the state government and derailing efforts to strengthen Sabah-based coalitions. Without naming specific individuals behind the conspiracy, Kitingan said he did not discount the possibility of hidden political motives. 'There appears to be a hidden hand moving and planning things behind the scenes. Only those interested in destroying the government and taking over would resort to such tactics,' he said. 'This is not new, it has been going on for the last 10 years. Same game, nothing surprising.' For those who have been covering Sabah politics since the rise of PBS in the 1980s, the game has been played by Kuala Lumpur (Putrajaya, nowadays) ever since. Kitingan's comments to the media has brought to light what was whispered about: that the powers-that-be at the Federal level allegedly want to install a 'Putrajaya-compliant chief minister' – a CM who is supposedly less of a Sabah for Sabahans leader fighting for state rights, including the complete restoration and implementation of the Malaysia Agreement 1963. The unintended consequences of the charges against the two assemblymen is that the other side released information that a Singapore tycoon is under investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for his alleged involvement as a financier in the Sabah mineral scandal. The tycoon is linked to politicians from a national party. Those in the know know that these non-GRS politicians are involved in the mining controversy, but the plotters have conveniently left them out. They say the scandal is not about corruption per se, it is a political game to wrest power in the state. If the Sabah CM had 'behaved', we would not be hearing anything about Sabah minerals. It would have been business – and politics – as usual. Now that Sindumin assemblyman Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob (who won the seat under the Warisan ticket and jumped to PGRS), Tanjung Batu assemblyman and Kalabakan MP Datuk Andi Muhammad Suryady Bandy (a suspended Umno leader) and a businessman have been charged with corruption, it will be the actual courts (not the courts of public perception) that will decide their innocence or guilt. Their case will probably be heard only after the dissolution of the Sabah state assembly – automatic dissolution is on Nov 11. However, the game played in the court of public perception will continue until the Sabah polls, for which the assembly will probably be dissolved in September. In the hands of a spinmaster, the Sabah minerals controversy will be shaped to be a Sabah versus KL fight.
The Star
14 hours ago
- The Star
Ahead of Sabah polls, Armizan urges continued local leadership in state govt
KOTA KINABALU: With the Sabah state election drawing closer, a federal minister from Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) has made a clear pitch — the state must continue to be led by local parties to ensure that its interests are not diluted in national politics. Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, who is also Papar MP and Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) vice-president, said having local parties at the helm of the state government ensures that Sabah's voice is protected and respected, particularly in negotiations with the Federal Government. Speaking in Tenom during the Melalap PGRS' annual conference, Armizan said the successful amendment of the Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) Act 2025 — which only applies to Peninsular Malaysia and Labuan for now — is a direct outcome of this local-federal power balance. 'At first, the law was meant for the whole country. But the Cabinet amended it after listening to Sabah and Sarawak — both led by local coalitions. That's the power of inter-governmental negotiation, not intra-party compromise,' he said. Armizan said this outcome was only possible because the current Federal Government, led by Pakatan Harapan, was willing to uphold the constitutional recognition of Sabah and Sarawak's special position under the Federal Constitution and the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63). 'This is why it's important that the core of the Federal Government remains national, while the core of the state government stays local. It creates the right platform for state-level interests to be defended through formal government-to-government engagement,' he said. He contrasted this with the Territorial Sea Act (TSA) 2012, which limits state control of territorial waters to just three nautical miles — legislation passed when both federal and state governments were dominated by the same national party. 'Some of the loudest critics of the TSA today were in government when it was passed. They were ministers, MPs — and they said nothing then,' he said. Armizan noted that almost all Sabah MPs in 2012 belonged to national parties and were bound by centralised coalition decisions, leaving them little room to dissent or represent Sabah's unique position. 'These are historical records — party and leader decisions — that cannot be erased,' he said. While Sabah does not reject national parties — with Pakatan Harapan representatives also serving in the state government — Armizan stressed that local parties must remain the foundation. 'It's about making sure Sabah's priorities stay front and centre, always discussed government to government, not party to party,' he added.
