By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Feb 19: Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) president Voon Lee Shan has questioned whether Chong Chieng Jen’s inaction on repealing the Petroleum Development Act 1974 (PDA74) reflects a tacit compromise by him and the Democratic Action Party (DAP) in allowing Sarawak’s oil and gas resources to remain under Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS).
Voon also challenged Chong, who is DAP Sarawak chairman, to explain why Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) 14th General Election manifesto pledge of a 20 per cent oil and gas royalty and 50 per cent tax revenue for Sarawak has not been fulfilled, despite PH being part of the current federal government.
“Where is the 20 per cent royalty and the 50 per cent tax revenue that DAP and PKR (Parti Keadilan Rakyat) in PH promised? What has Chong done about it? His boss is none other than Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, and he should push for the repeal of PDA74 in Parliament. Has he and DAP taken any action?
“Chong is a former deputy minister—did he ever attempt to repeal PDA74? If not, could his inaction and inability to solve the problem be seen as he and DAP compromising that Sarawak’s oil and gas should continue to be in the hands of PETRONAS?” Voon questioned in a statement today.
He recalled that PH had promised Sarawak would receive the full 20 per cent oil royalty, with the federal government covering any shortfall if PETRONAS was unable to pay.
He also pressed Chong, a former deputy minister, to explain what efforts he and DAP have made to push for the repeal of the Petroleum Development Act 1974 (PDA74) in Parliament.
Voon stressed that Sarawak has lost billions in oil and gas revenue since PDA74 was enacted, estimating that the State’s annual losses exceed RM100 billion.
Yet, he noted, Sarawak continues to receive less than RM5 billion in annual development funds from the federal government.
“Based on PH’s promise, what has the Sarawak government done to reclaim this? PH is part of the current administration and should honour its election commitments. The Sarawak government has every right to demand what was promised,” he emphasised.
He also pressed DAP and PKR on their efforts in Parliament, asking if they had tabled any motions to repeal PDA74, the Territorial Sea Act 2012 (TSA 2012), or the Continental Shelf Act 1966 (CSA 1966), which he argues have long deprived Sarawak of its marine wealth, including oil and gas resources.
Voon also called on both PH and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) to take decisive action in Parliament to reclaim Sarawak’s oil and gas rights, arguing that merely discussing the issue in public serves no purpose without legislative efforts.
“To blame GPS alone will not solve the problem, nor can GPS component parties like Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) blame DAP, as they are all part of the current Madani government. Have any GPS or SUPP MPs filed a motion in Parliament to repeal PDA74?” he asked.
Reaffirming PBK’s stance, Voon said Sarawak and Sabah must reclaim full ownership of their oil, gas, and marine wealth, urging Sarawak leaders to move beyond political rhetoric and take real action in Parliament. — DayakDaily
