Ensure no violation of state’s rights as guaranteed under MA63, PH told
SIBU: State Pakatan Harapan (PH) MPs must send a strong message to the Prime Minister that there shall never be any infringement on Sarawak’s rights guaranteed under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 ( MA63).
SUPP Central Youth Chairman Michael Tiang stated this yesterday in response to the remark by Sarawak PH leaders that ‘ Petronas gains the upper hand by filing application in Federal Court’.
Tiang said the Petroleum Development Act ( PDA) 1974 and Territorial Seas Act ( TSA) 2012 could not supersede MA63 and the Federal Constitution.
“PDA and TSA cannot supersede MA63 and the Federal Constitution. These unconstitutional laws need to be reviewed immediately.
“Petronas must respect Sarawak’s sovereignty and it shall comply with the Oil Mining Ordinance 1958 for all their oil mining activities in Sarawak,” Tiang said in a press statement.
He reminded PH Sarawak MPs that they are the only Sarawak representatives in the federal government and that the people of Sarawak do not wish to see them making statements asking others to apologise over Sarawak matters.
He said the land and territorial waters within Sarawak’s boundaries had all the time belonged to Sarawak, particularly the said boundaries which were gazetted by the Queen in Council in 1954.
In the present scenario, Tiang pointed out it must be Petronas that seeks declaration from the court, not Sarawak.
“In what sense can they say Sarawak is passive?
“For example, you are the landowner, and others intend to enter your land for commercial activities. Which party shall seek court’s declaration on whom shall have the rights to the land?
“The answer is simple; it is always the one who wants to claim rights to enter the land for commercial activities, not the landowner,” he emphasised.
Tiang said it had always been Sarawak’s stand that the land and territorial waters within Sarawak boundaries belonged to Sarawak, even after the formation of Malaysia.
“These rights are clearly enshrined in the Federal Constitution. Nevertheless, an emergency proclamation was made by the federal government in 1969, and some federal legislations were passed during the state of emergency, that include the unconstitutional PDA, and later after the emergency laws were lifted the federal passed TSA.
“I believe Sarawak PH leaders including Stampin MP Chong Chieng Jen also acknowledged the above federal laws being unconstitutional and are infringing Sarawak’s rights and interests,” he said, wondering why the MPs from Sarawak PH had been silent on this.