By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 27: Sarawak’s rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and the Oil Mining Ordinance 1958 (OMO) are non-negotiable, and the establishment of Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (PETROS) as sole gas aggregator is a legitimate expression of Sarawak’s constitutional position, stressed Kota Sentosa assemblyman Wilfred Yap.
Yap said recent remarks by former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Legal and Parliamentary Affairs) Datuk Mohd Zaid Ibrahim, suggesting that PETROS should not be entrusted with the role of gas aggregator disregarded Sarawak’s historical and constitutional rights and risked undermining the spirit of MA63 as well as the rights of Sarawakians over their own resources.
“First, PETROS is not a threat to the Federation but a legitimate expression of Sarawak’s constitutional rights.
“The fact is, oil and gas found within Sarawak’s territory are part of the State’s natural wealth.
“The establishment of PETROS and its role as aggregator are consistent with Sarawak’s push to assert greater control over resources that rightly belong to Sarawakians,” he said in a statement today.
He pointed out that the OMO remains valid law, enacted before the formation of Malaysia, and continues to affirm Sarawak’s ownership and regulatory authority over oil and gas within its boundaries.
“This is not an act of secession or hostility towards the Federation, but an act of fairness to ensure that Sarawak’s people are no longer short-changed,” Yap explained.
On claims that PETROS undermines Petroliam Nasional Berhad’s (PETRONAS) commercial competitiveness, Yap said such allegations were misleading, noting that PETRONAS had enjoyed decades of monopoly under the Petroleum Development Act 1974 (PDA), an Act whose legitimacy has been challenged, as it was never ratified by the Sarawak Legislative Assembly nor entrenched under MA63.
“Far from weakening PETRONAS, PETROS ensures that commercial dealings in Sarawak’s gas industry are transparent, fair, and directly beneficial to the people.
“PETRONAS remains a national champion with vast resources and global reach.
“To suggest its competitiveness is threatened by Sarawak reclaiming its rightful role is unconvincing,” he stressed.
Yap also rebuked Zaid’s claim that Sarawak’s stance was “illegal,” reiterating that the State never ceded ownership of its oil and gas resources.
“MA63 guarantees Sarawak special rights, including immigration control and the autonomy to safeguard its economic interests.
“To argue for a review of Sarawak’s immigration autonomy on the grounds of facilitating PETRONAS operations is an affront to the very foundation of federalism and a dismissal of the safeguards agreed upon at the formation of Malaysia,” he said.
On Sarawak’s claim for a fairer revenue share including RM10 billion, Yap argued that federal law could not simply override MA63, the Federal Constitution or the OMO.
“Sarawak’s demands are not about destabilising the country but about correcting historical imbalances and ensuring equitable development for all Malaysians,” he said, echoing Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg’s reminder that Sarawak’s rights under MA63 and OMO “are not negotiable.”
He further rejected attempts to portray PETROS’ role as political bargaining.
“The people of Sarawak have waited decades to see justice in resource sharing. PETROS is not about politics, it is about dignity, fairness, and development for Sarawak. True national unity can only be achieved when every partner in the Federation is treated with respect and equity,” he said.
Yap called on Sarawakians not to be misled by narratives designed to preserve the status quo at the expense of the State.
“PETROS is here to safeguard Sarawak’s future and ensure that our oil and gas wealth benefits our people first, while still contributing to national prosperity,” he stressed. — DayakDaily
