KOTA KINABALU, Oct. 15 -- Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal defended its acceptance of a mere RM53.4 million in special grants for Sabah during its time in government because the national budget then was faced with constraints.

He said the issue was never about rejecting allocations but ensuring the State's constitutional rights are met.

The former chief minister was responding to Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) Deputy Sec-Gen Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, who said the incoming GRS-Plus State Government rejected the amount, forcing Federal to raise it to RM200 million pending resolution of the issues involved.

"We agreed with the allocation. It was the formula we disagreed with," Shafie said, adding that Warisan had to cooperate wit...