Sarawak to set up taskforce on rights under Malaysia Agreement

KUCHING: The Sarawak Legislative Assembly has unanimously approved a resolution mandating the state government to form a high-level special taskforce to negotiate with the Federal Government and resolve outstanding issues on Sarawak’s rights under the Malaysia Agreement.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah said although an agreement was reached on some issues since 2015, other constitutional matters relating to oil mining rights and territorial waters had yet to be resolved.

On oil mining rights, he said Sarawak had made sacrifices for national interest by granting Petronas control and benefits from petroleum and natural resources in the state’s continental shelf and on land.

“Consequently, Petronas has been able to grant concessions for exploration and production of oil and gas to many companies.

“Sarawakian companies have yet to be involved in any development and production of oil and gas in the continental shelf,” he said when tabling a motion to set up the taskforce in the state assembly yesterday.

Uggah said the state government wanted all parties involved in oil and gas exploration in Sarawak, including Petronas, to comply with relevant state laws such as the Oil Mining Ordinance, which regulates onshore and offshore oil mining, and the state Land Code.

He also said the Territorial Sea Act, which was passed by Parliament in 2012 without consulting the state government, adversely affected Sarawak’s rights by altering the state’s territorial waters from 12 to three nautical miles, while the Federal Government claimed a breadth of up to 12 nautical miles.

“It is unconstitutional for the Federal Government to claim rights over the seabed and subsoil which are part of state land by claiming sovereignty over it under international law through enacting the Territorial Sea Act,” he said. He added the state wanted these issues to be resolved amicably without resorting to legal action so as not to jeopardise the federation’s unity and good relationship between Sarawakand the FederalGovernment.

He called on the Federal Government to establish a taskforce corresponding to the state’s to conclude the negotiations on Sarawak’s rights.