Apologise for misleading Sarawakians, ministers told

KUCHING: Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing and Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian should apologise to all Sarawakians for misleading them into believing that Sarawak has already acquired full authority over its oil and gas resources and the continental shelf.

Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How said Masing, the Deputy Chief Minister, and Dr Sim, the Minister of Local Government and Housing, should do the honourable thing — to admit their ignorance and lack of knowledge in the laws and the country’s legal processes and thus, they should apologise to all Sarawakians.

He said Masing, on March 10, had said that the 20 per cent oil royalty offered by Pakatan Harapan ( PH) in their manifesto was not relevant to Sarawak as it had full control over the production of oil and gas.

Masing further said with Sarawak having full authority over its oil and gas resources as well as its continental shelf, any oil corporation – including Petronas – wanting to operate in Sarawak must obtain permit from the Sarawak government.

See, who is Sarawak PKR vice chairman, said Dr Sim had, on May 2, stated that while PH promised 20 per cent oil royalty for Sarawak, the Barisan Nasional ( BN) would offer 100 per cent. According to Dr Sim, Sarawak has the right to own whatever it has as it does not recognise the Territorial Sea Act (TSA) 2012.

“Do not try to shift the blame to Pakatan Harapan for their own and the BN’s failure to safeguard Sarawak’s territorial integrity and our sovereign rights to our resources over the last 55 years.

“Do not try to hide yourselves and your own party’s wrongdoings for not objecting to the enactment of the Petroleum Development Act ( PDA) 1974 and the TSA.

“And do not blame others when you were part of the Sarawak government that did nothing to challenge the constitutionality of the TSA and the applicability of the provisions of the PDA in Sarawak,” he told reporters here yesterday.

See said in the coming State Legislative Assembly ( DUN) sitting, Masing and Dr Sim should also apologise to the DUN for backing down on a motion calling for 20 per cent petroleum royalty for Sarawak, which was unanimously passed on May 6, 2014.

“It is only honourable for them to do that,” he said.

See said both Masing and Dr Sim should learn from Assistant Minister of Law, Federal- State Relations and Project Monitoring Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali, who on her Facebook posting, said she was hopeful that ‘with this new government and supposedly new hope and new era, we hope that PDA 1974 will be comprehensively reviewed and amended in the true spirit of Malaysia’.