KUCHING, Feb 3: State Pakatan Harapan (PH) lawmakers are optimistic that the Sarawak legal team will prevail in asserting the state’s right to impose the five per cent State Sales Tax on oil and petroleum products in Sarawak.
“I have confidence in our legal team headed by Datuk Seri JC Fong and State Attorney-General Datu Talat Mahmood Abdul Rashid. They are some of the best legal minds that we have in Sarawak. So we have full confidence in them that they will carry the matter through, and have a good argument and win the case for Sarawak,” State Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) vice-chairman See Chee How told reporters at the Court Complex here today.
See, along with Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii and Padungan assemblyman Wong King Wei were at the Court complex to give their moral support.
“We are here this morning because of the hearing of the judicial review on the matter between Petronas and the state government. We are here today to show our solidarity with all the other Sarawakians together in this matter.
“This is a very important case because the matter has been debated, delayed, talk about all these years for a long time already. I think, today it is good that we have some finality, we have the hearing today, and most of the legal matters will be discussed debated in the hearing today,” See added.
He also hoped that the court will recognise Sarawak’s laws regarding its right over oil and petroleum products under the Oil and Mining Ordinance 1958.
“Of course we are very hopeful that we can get everything that we want for Sarawak, that is important — all the interest and all that we have under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and how the nation came about. That is what we want for Sarawak,” added the Batu Lintang assemblyman.
Meanwhile, Dr Yii noted that the State PH had stated its stance to support the rights of Sarawak as enshrined under MA63 and under the Federal Constitution.
“From our side, from the beginning, we have stated our stand and support for anything that is beneficial for the interest of Sarawak. So, I personally am happy that we have this opportunity that we can ascertain legal authority or legal certainty on an issue that has been dragged on, debated on, and discussed in public forums.
“While it is a good discussion, however, what is said in public is not legally binding. So this judicial review is a good opportunity [to determine] such legal authority and also to resolve what is right so that we can obtain what is rightfully ours under the MA63 and Federal Constitution,” said Dr Yii. — DayakDaily
