PONTIAN, Feb. 15 -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that Johor's request for the return of the state's 25 per cent income tax revenue was not an issue and can be negotiated amicably.

Anwar said Johor currently was the highest recipient for the federal government's expenditure that is used for various needs of its people.

"The federal allocation is used for the construction and upgrading of highways, ports and also the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ).

"So, the issue involving the return of taxes can be negotiated and resolved in an amicable way," he said in his address at the at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Hospital Pontian's additional annex at Dataran Pontian here today.

Present during the event was...