Similar legal suits against Petronas will be filed by groups in oil-producing Kelantan, Terengganu and Sarawak.
KOTA KINABALU: Six Sabahans, including leaders from Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) and PAS, have filed a suit against Petronas and the Sabah state government at the High Court here, seeking to declare the 1976 agreement between Petronas and the Sabah state government as null and void.
The group of six who called themselves “Royalty for Sabah”, are Zainal Ajamain, Michael Peter Govind, PAS leaders Lahirul Latigu, Mohd Julpikar Ab Mijan, and SAPP’s Dullie Mari and Joseph Wilfred Lakai.
Zainal was co-founder of the United Borneo Front (UBF) but soon after together with Govind, parted ways with another UBF founder Jeffrey Kitingan.
The writ of summon was filed by their lawyer Marcel Jude at the High Court registry.
Zainal in their joint statement said it was illegal for the federal government to take Sabah’s oil which should belong 100% to the people of Sabah.
“The Malaysia Agreement 1963 is very clear on this,” claimed Zainal who is an economist.
The group contended that the 1976 agreement was in conflict with the Federal Constitution, which successive state governments had failed to address for the last 37 years.
“Recently, both the state government and the opposition have promised that the issue of oil royalty to Sabah is high on their agenda, but actually both have no right to determine the quantum for Sabah.
“[Since] 100% of the oil belongs to the people in Sabah, it should be given back to them and let them decide as to how much should be given to the federal government, whoever it may be,” the group said.
They also claimed that their action was in line with the recent statement by PAS president Hadi Awang in Tuaran that “in Islamic concept of governance, the wealth of a region shall be used to alleviate the problems of the people of the region first before it can be brought out of it”.
According to Zainal, similar suits will be filed by groups in another three oil-producing states of Kelantan, Terengganu and Sarawak.
what would it mean that 100% of the oil belongs to the people in Sabah? So if this case was won, would 100% go to the pockets of rich men or to the people of sabah?
ReplyDeleteApa yang kita tahu sekarang ini Petronas telah pun cuba membantu Sabah dengan pembangunan minyak dan gas seperti yang sekarang dalam pembinaan di Kimanis Papar.
Deleteprojek2 petronas yang dijalankan di Sabah akan memberi byk manfaat kepada penduduk dalam tingkatkan ekonomi dan pembangunan infrastruktur.
DeleteWith the setting up of the special task force, for sure the profit would go to Sabah's fund.
ReplyDeleteKeuntungan akan dibahagi sama rata.
DeleteDon't worry. The profit will go to us.
ReplyDeleteIn fact the state government has promised to give the best for us.
ReplyDeleteKerajaan pasti akan memberi yang terbaik untuk kita.
DeleteBaru-baru ini, Najib berkata bahawa kerajaan persekutuan tidak berhasrat untuk meningkatkan pembayaran royalti kepada negeri-negeri pengeluar minyak.
ReplyDeleteTambah Najib, peruntukan melalui pembayaran produk petroleum kepada kerajaan persekutuan dan negeri telah ditetapkan mengikut Kontrak Perkongsian Pengeluaran (PSC).
DeleteKontrak ini, kata Najib, telah ditandatangani antara Petronas dan rakan PSC (asing) seperti Shell, Exxonmobil dan sebagainya. Meminda kadar produk bermakna memerlukan rundingan semula antara Petronas dan rakan-rakan PSC.
DeleteNajib memberitahu bahawa sebagai kontrak itu dikuatkuasakan untuk tempoh masa tertentu, sebarang cubaan untuk meminda kriteria akan memusnahkan kepentingan dan keyakinan syarikat-syarikat minyak asing.
DeleteWalaupun begitu,Najib berkata walaupun tanpa kenaikan royalti minyak, kerajaan persekutuan telah menyumbang jauh lebih banyak kepada negeri-negeri pengeluar minyak berbanding daripada apa yang mereka dapat daripada hasil petroleum.
DeleteSabah tidak pernah diperdaya oleh Kuala Lumpur berhubung hasil minyak dan gas.
ReplyDeleteSabah menerima kira-kira empat kali ganda lebih daripada 5% royalti minyak daripada kerajaan persekutuan untuk pembangunan sosial dan infrastrukturnya yang menggantikan rancangan lima tahun Malaysia.
ReplyDeleteSabah menjangkakan kira-kira RM800 juta dalam royalti petroleum tahun ini.
ReplyDeleteNegeri ini mendapat lebih sedikit daripada RM10 bilion untuk melaksanakan 424 projek dibawah fasa pertama pelan roling Rancangan Malaysia ke-10 yang bermula pada tahun lalu.
ReplyDelete"Zainal in their joint statement said it was illegal for the federal government to take Sabah’s oil which should belong 100% to the people of Sabah."
ReplyDeletekenapa Zainal tidak korek sendiri minyak di sabah kemudian agihkan 100% hasil minyak itu kepada rakyat sabah??
The presence of Petronas since the early 1970s has proved to be the economic catalyst for Sabah, particularly in the oil and gas industry,.
ReplyDeleteup to August last year, Petronas had invested about RM61bil in the upstream and downstream activities of Sabah’s petroleum sector, thus contributing significantly to the state’s development.
This was a large sum of money, and the people of Sabah should be thankful to Petronas. Without doubt, Petronas is really committed in galvanising the state’s oil and gas industry, which is in line with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s economic transformation programme..
ReplyDeletethis was evident from Petronas’ buoyant and steady downstream activities, which include oil refineries, petrochemical plants, petroleum product distribution, retail outlets and natural gas distribution companies, in the state.
The Opposition can only promise anything. They have no commitment nor power to implement them and the people must be wary of such promise makers.
ReplyDeletethe opposition parties not to politicise the effort as it could dent the government's sincere intention of tackling an inherited problem
ReplyDeletewrongdoings and weaknesses afflicting the people that are likely exploited by the opposition will get due attention and remedy from the government
ReplyDeletethe opposition always attack the government and vice versa. In some developed countries, the opposition and the government of the day could still work together for the benefit of the people
ReplyDeletethe voters not to be easily influenced by the opposition who only peddle empty promises.
ReplyDelete