Onus on Federal government
Abang Johari sees no reason to go to court to validate Sarawak’s territorial claims
KUCHING: The state government will not go to court to challenge the constitutionality of the Petroleum Development Act (PDA), Continental Shelf Act 1966 and Territorial Sea Act (TSA) 2021 that relates to the state’s boundaries, said Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg,
“Why should we? The onus is for them to disapprove our right on our boundaries,” he shot back.
“I am not a lawyer. It is our right. If they think that we have no right, they can bring us to court. We don’t care. The locus standi can be with them to dispute what we have claimed based on the 1954 Order in Council on the alteration of boundaries,” he explained.
Abang Johari, who is also Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) chairman, made these remarks when declaring open Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) 25th triennial delegates conference yesterday.
Ba Kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian in the state assembly Friday had said the GPS government is duty bound to challenge the constitutionality of the PDA, Continental Shelf Act and the TSA, as only the Sarawak government alone has the locus standi to take up the case.
On another matter, Abang Johari said Democratic Action Party (DAP) cannot continue to fool the people with the ‘Sarawak will go bankrupt’ statement.
“Up to today, this is my fifth year as Chief Minister or now Premier, we are not bankrupt but money come in again. Even to the extent we want to form our own sovereign fund to save our money for the future of Sarawak. We know how to manage our economy.
“You can fool people once, you can fool people twice but you cannot fool people all the time,” he said in response to a statement made by DAP Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen to defend his party’s national chairman Lim Guan Eng’s infamous “Sarawak will go bankrupt” statement made when the Sarawak government was keen to build a Light Rail Transit (LRT) in Kuching.
Chong claimed that Sarawak has not gone bankrupt after the statement was made because Abang Johari finally dropped the idea of going ahead with the project.
Abang Johari said, based on the recording of the speech made by Lim, the latter did not say Sarawak will go bankrupt because of the LRT project.
“I still remember what he said. It is not because of LRT. He had said Abang Jo has a budget of RM10 billion, meaning three years we will be spending RM30 billion which means our reserve of RM30 billion will finish by then. Then Sarawak will be bankrupt.
“That was what he said. ‘Jangan mau pusing pusing’ (don’t spin). You want to spin, come on lah we have the record. I am not that stupid.
“Any accountant knows there must be balance sheet. Any amount out, there must be some amount in. Not just amount out, which will cause you bankrupt,” said Abang Johari.
He pointed out that with Sarawak now having new streams of revenue including carbon credit trading, it will not be going bankrupt as alleged by Lim when the latter was the federal Finance Minister.
If they think that we have no right, they can bring us to court.The locus standi can be with them to dispute what we have claimed based on the 1954 Order in Council on the alteration of boundaries.
— Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, Premier of Sarawk