KUALA LUMPUR (July 25): Sarawak Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Chong Chieng Jen said the state government, led by former Barisan Nasional party members including Sarawak United Peoples' Party, has not accepted autonomy devolution offer from Putrajaya despite being offered.

Speaking to the media at Parliament lobby today, Chong said the Sarawak government did not provide any explanation as to the reason to ignore the federal government's offer.

"They did not give a reason, just no response," he said.

Chong, a member of Parliament representing Stampin, Sarawak, said PH has in its manifesto stated that if the coalition took over Putrajaya, it will offer Sarawak 20% of gross value from oil extracted within the state as royalty, plus 50% of tax collected in the state.

"In return, the state government will take up the responsibility and financial burden of state Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education in Sarawak. This has been our proposal in our manifesto, meaning we pay for our own teachers, doctors and nurses, and medicine that we procure," he said.

"So it is a whole package, it is in line with the pursuit for more autonomy for the state government," he added.

Under these circumstances, Chong, who is also deputy Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, said the federal government is not able to devolve the power.

"Otherwise who is going to pay for the salary of the teachers," he said.

Chong said the additional oil royalties of 15%, from 5% currently, would amount to about RM4.5 billion to RM5 billion a year, and 50% of all taxes collected in Sarawak would amount to around RM3.5 billion a year, as Sarawak contributes about RM7 billion in tax collection.

Hence, he said the total amount to be paid to Sarawak will be approximately RM8 billion.

"In the last few years' budgets, Ministry of Health allocation spent in Sarawak were about 10% of total allocation, which comes up to about RM3 billion a year, while for the Ministry of Education total allocation is more than RM40 billion, of which 10% to 11% [were] spent in Sarawak, which is about RM4.5 billion," he said.

"Overall, the amount of annual allocation to Sarawak in these two ministries is about RM8 billion, this can be set-off with the amount of additional 15% oil royalties and 50% tax collection to be given to the state," he added.

Chong said the PH coalition's member party has signed an agreement on these promises, and has submitted the agreement to the state government.

"Our manifesto from the beginning is about devolution of power and autonomy to be given to Sarawak, and that is how we structure the whole royalties and share of tax collection, this is about the whole decentralisation agenda," he said.

"But sad to say, the current Sarawak government did not agree to it, they talk so much about autonomy, now that the federal government try to devolve the power, they didn't want to accept," he added.