By Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, Aug 27: Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) wants an emergency State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting to declare Sarawak independent from Malaysia with immediate effect after Petronas and the federal government was said to be keeping the Sarawak government in the dark over the amount of oil and gas reserves that Sarawak has.
PBK president Voon Lee Shan opined that Petronas has no right to keep the Sarawak government in the dark over the amount of oil and gas pumped or extracted by Petronas each day.
He said that the exploitation of the state’s oil and gas resources by the federal government through Petronas cuts into the hearts of every Sarawakian.
“The state government needs to heed the pain suffered by us and we hereby call on the GPS (Gabungan Parti Sarawak) government to no more negotiate, discuss or raise this matter with Putrajaya but to call for an emergency DUN sitting to declare Sarawak independent from Malaysia with immediate effect,” he told reporters at a press conference at his office here today.
Voon made the call in support of Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari’s recent statement as reported by a Chinese daily that Petronas and the federal government have kept mum and refused to provide data and information over oil and gas extracted from Sarawak.
“The pain now Sarawak is facing is the failure or refusal by Petronas to disclose data or information demanded by the Sarawak government and is a legitimate excuse for the Sarawak government to seek exit or declare Sarawak independent from the federation of Malaysia,” Voon opined.
Voon who a legal practitioner by profession is of the view that what Petronas is doing is not right and against international law.
“All Acts or laws passed by Parliament shifting the continental shelf or coastlines of Sarawak for the purpose of allowing Petronas to take our Sarawak oil and gas are against international law.
“Any territorial shift is an infringement of the international law rule that the existing boundary of a colony or country merging with another cannot be changed.
“The passing of the Territorial Sea Act 2012 and the Continental Shelf Act 1966 including the Petroleum Development Act 1974 being not ratified by the state legislature besides being against international law are also unconstitutional,” Voon said.
Petronas is taking Sarawak’s oil and gas by these Acts of Parliament, which by right under Article 13 of the Federal Constitution, Sarawak should be adequately compensated for but which in fact has not been done, he opined.
According to Voon who is also a former Batu Lintang assemblyman, the GPS government should be aware that international law allows Sarawak every right to break away from the federation of Malaysia due to reasons of economic suppression and political differences.
“Sarawak can do this by unilateral declaration of independence (UDI) like what Singapore did in 1965 from the Federation of Malaysia and Kosovo from Serbia in 2008,” he added.
PBK deputy president Datuk George Martin, and party members Raymond Tong, Chai Kueh Khun and Danny Kuan were also present. — DayakDaily
