MPs slam Chong over ‘baseless statement’

KUCHING: Pakatan Harapan ( PH) Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen has come under fire from Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) members of Parliament for making a baseless statement against the state government for not accepting the autonomy devolution offer from Putrajaya despite being offered.

The GPS MPs chief whip Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said the statement by Chong was in contradiction to the stand declared by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali in the ongoing Dewan Rakyat sitting regarding oil royalty.

He pointed out that Chong had stated that if the PH coalition took over Putrajaya, it would offer Sarawak 20 per cent of gross value from oil extracted within the state as royalty, plus 50 per cent of tax collected in the state, as mentioned in the PH manifesto.

“He also said additional oil royalties of 15 per cent, from five per cent currently, would amount to about RM4.5 billion to RM5 billion a year, and 50 per cent of all taxes collected in Sarawak would amount to around RM3.5 billion a year, as Sarawak contributes about RM7 billion in tax collection. Hence, the total amount to be paid to Sarawak will be approximately RM8 billion.

“But the recent announcement made by the Prime Minister and Economic Affairs Minister stated that 20 per cent of the oil royalty to be paid will be from profit, not gross production. Therefore, GPS demands an explanation from YB Chong regarding his stand on this matter, whether he has changed his stand or is consistent in wanting the 20 per cent oil royalty to be from gross production,” he said yesterday.

Fadillah, who is also Petra Jaya MP, said the previous chief minister the late Pehin Sri Adenan Satem or Tok Nan had been consistent in his struggle to demand 20 per cent royalty from gross production, an increase from the current five percent.

As far as power devolution is concerned, he said the late Tok Nan was firm and consistent in demanding the rights of Sarawak as enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 ( MA63) to be returned. Such struggles continue under the current Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg today, he added.

He pointed out a Cabinet Committee on MA63 was formed in 2016 and jointly chaired by Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri (Sarawak) and Datuk Seri Anifah Aman (Sabah).

The late Tok Nan had also specifically demanded on the need for the federal government to fulfil the rights of Sarawak as enshrined in MA63, the Inter Governmental Committee (IGC) 1963, the Cobbold Commission Report 1962 and Federal Constitution.

Furthermore, the negotiations of devolution of administrative powers from the federal government to Sarawak government had entered the second phase before the 14th general election, which involved negotiations between the Attorney General at the federal level and State Attorney Generals in Sabah and Sarawak, he added.

He also said the technical committee at the state level had also submitted technical reports to the previous AG, Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali, and 13 provisions of administrative powers had been returned by the federal government to Sarawak since 2016.

“The question now is, what is the stand of Chong regarding our demands for the 20 per cent royalty? Will he be on the side of the Sarawak government not to sidetrack in demanding 20 per cent out of the gross production, or has he changed his stand following the latest development that PH will give 20 per cent based on profit.

“If he has changed his stand, that means he has betrayed the promises and hope of Sarawakans, and the struggles of the late Tok Nan. It is clear that Sarawakians are hopeful for the PH government to fulfil its promise under its manifesto to give 20 per cent royalty based on production and return rights that had been eroded,” he said.

Chong was quoted in The Edge Markets yesterday as saying Sarawak government did not provide any explanation as to why it ignored the PH federal government’s offer for autonomy devolution.

The Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs and Stampin MP had said PH had in its manifesto stated that if the coalition took over Putrajaya, it would offer Sarawak 20 per cent of gross value from oil extracted within the state as royalty, plus 50 per cent of tax collected in the state.

“In return, the state government will take up the responsibility and financial burden of state Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education in Sarawak. This has been our proposal in our manifesto, meaning we pay for our own teachers, doctors and nurses, and medicine that we procure.

“So it is a whole package, it is in line with the pursuit for more autonomy for the state government,” he had said.

Chong also said the PH member parties had signed an agreement on these promises.