KUCHING, Mar 14: Sarawak People’s Aspiration Party (Aspirasi) president Lina Soo has called for the Sarawak Government to declare Sarawak’s rights over the state’s oil and gas reserves.
Soo in a statement said the declaration can be made by passing legislation in the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting to repudiate the Petroleum Development Act (PDA) and Territorial Sea Act (TSA).
“Both the PDA and TSA have impinged upon Sarawak’s territorial integrity over our petroleum resources and territorial waters, and by not seeking a constitutional redress, our sovereignty will be compromised in acquiescence, as silence will be taken to mean consent,” she said.
She asserted that an oil corporation cannot subvert the authority and territorial integrity of Sarawak, and no company can be bigger than the nation of Sarawak.
“Therefore I call upon DUN to raise two motions during the August House sitting to reject both the PDA and TSA when the House sits in May this year,” she added.
Meanwhile, Soo also congratulated the Sarawak government on its victory in the judicial review where the High Court ruled that Sarawak has to right to impose sales tax on petroleum products.
“This means Petronas must apply for licensing and permits as required under the Sarawak Oil Mining Ordinance (OMO),” she said, adding that an update from the Sarawak government on whether Petronas had met the requirement should be made known.
She also hoped that that Petronas would promptly pay up the 5 per cent state sales tax owed to the Sarawak government for 2019 and not waste the court’s time and taxpayers money any further with frivolous court proceedings. —DayakDaily
