Petronas suit never tabled during board meeting — SS

KUCHING: Petroliam Nasional Bhd’s ( Petronas) suit against the Sarawak Government in the Federal Court was never tabled during the national oil corporation’s board meetings.

State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani, who is a member of the Petronas board, confirmed this to The Borneo Post yesterday.

“There was no paper tabled in the board on the matter and to say I am aware is not accurate. I don’t have any further comment as it is now a court matter. That’s my response,” Morshidi said in a message

Morshidi was responding to Pujut assemblyman Dr Ting Tiong Choon’s accusations that as a member of the board he would have known about the suit.

“Before Petronas made the appeal to the Federal Court, the company must have held a board meeting, and as a board member of Petronas, Tan Sri Moshidi would have known in advance prior to the appeal to the Federal Court,” Dr Ting claimed in a statement yesterday.

“If he did not, he is not fulfilling his responsibilities in protecting Sarawak’s assets in petroleum,” he further claimed.

Dr Ting also claimed that “the state government is fooling herself and had belittled the people’s wisdom”.

On Monday, the Sarawak Attorney- General’s Chambers confirmed it had been served with a notice from the Federal Court Registry that the Sarawak government was a party in the suit by Petronas.

On Thursday, Sarawak lawyers from both sides of the political divide rallied to protect Sarawak’s rights in the oil and gas industry.

Assistant Minister of Law, State-Federal Relations and Project Monitoring Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali said the Advocates Association of Sarawak would support the Sarawak government in fighting for Sarawak.