By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, March 20: Sarawak Pakatan Harapan (PH) senators have strongly refuted claims that the State is demanding excessive rights over its oil and gas resources, calling such narratives misleading and historically inaccurate.
In a statement today, Senators Abun Sui Anyit and Roderick Wong criticised an article published in a national daily titled “End bickering over Petronas’s O&G rights, ex-Treasury man tells Sarawak”.
They argued that the piece misrepresented Sarawak’s position and overlooked its legitimate claims under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and the Federal Constitution.
“We firmly assert that Sarawak’s demand to reclaim full rights over its oil and gas resources is based on historical facts, valid legal provisions, and the spirit of MA63.
“The narrative portraying Sarawak as ‘demanding more’ is misleading and should not be perpetuated,” they emphasised.
The senators called on the Sarawak government to continue pressing for the return of its rights, emphasising that Deputy Prime Minister Dato Sri Fadillah Yusof, who chairs the MA63 Implementation Action Council Technical Committee (MTPMA63), has played a key role in advancing these efforts.
They highlighted that under the current Madani government, 11 demands related to MA63 have already been resolved, marking significant progress compared to previous administrations.
“Sarawak’s claims are also grounded in the Petroleum Development Act 1974 (PDA1974), which was enacted with the agreement of Parliament, including Sarawakian MPs,” they added.
The senators urged all parties to refrain from spreading narratives that could mislead Malaysians into believing Sarawak was asking for more than its fair share.
“This is not about demanding more—it is about restoring what was rightfully ours from the beginning,” they emphasised.
They also noted that only under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s administration have Sarawak’s rights under MA63 been actively reinstated, urging the Sarawak government to collaborate closely with Putrajaya to accelerate the restoration process.
“The current government has made significant efforts to resolve long-standing issues that were neglected before. Sarawak should seize this opportunity to work constructively with the federal government to ensure our rights are fully returned,” they urged.
In a March 15 article, former senior Treasury official Nik Azmi Nik Daud asserted that the Petroleum Development Act 1974 (PDA) is legally indisputable and that federal laws take precedence over state laws in cases of conflict.
He told the national daily that full control of oil and gas belongs to Petronas, as enshrined in the constitution via the PDA, emphasising that the legislation was properly enacted by Dewan Rakyat and officially recorded.
He dismissed criticisms of the PDA, stating, “Bickering by half-baked minds doesn’t change that. Sarawakian representatives and everybody should look to history and stop spreading misinformation that could harm relations among Malaysians.”
He argued that the PDA grants Petronas full ownership and regulatory authority over all upstream and downstream oil and gas activities nationwide.
Nik Azmi added that before the PDA, Malaysia had no access to its oil and gas resources, as colonial powers had granted foreign oil companies rights to exploit them indefinitely.
“Even our first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman failed to get them back despite securing Malaya’s independence from British rule,” he said. — DayakDaily
