KUCHING, June 5: Former Padungan assemblyman Dominique Ng likens Petronas’ court filing yesterday to a tiger preparing to pounce on a lamb.
“For Petronas to say it is committed to support Sarawak’s aspirations so long as it is within the celestial framework of the PDA (Petroleum Development Act 1974) is like a tiger telling the lamb that it will support the lamb so long as the lamb ends up as roast mutton for him,” he said in a statement today.
Ng said he believed the Pakatan Harapan (PH)-led government, headed by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, was supporting the move by Petronas.
“One must not forget one important thing about the Petronas of today. It is no more controlled by the old Barisan Nasional government of (former Prime Minister Datuk Seri) Najib (Tun Razak).
“It would now be controlled by the PH government, under the leadership of Dr Mahathir. So, this current Petronas challenge to an important right of Sarawak, i.e. to its petroleum resources, must be seen as being done with the support or direction of the new PH government, and not otherwise.”
Ng said this in response to Petronas filing an application before the Federal Court yesterday seeking a declaration on the PDA being the law applicable for the petroleum industry in Malaysia.
Petronas is seeking for a declaration that it is the exclusive owner of the petroleum resources as well as the regulator for the upstream industry throughout Malaysia, including in Sarawak.
The national oil company said in a statement yesterday that it believed the determination by the Federal Court would help provide clarity on its rights and position under the PDA. — DayakDaily
