DUN Consultative Committee to discuss Sarawak-Petronas deal on June 10

KUCHING: The State Legislative Assembly Consultative Committee is holding a meeting on June 10 in connection with Sarawak’s recent settlement with Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) on the State Sales Tax (SST).

Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department (Law, State-Federal Relationship and Project Monitoring) Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali confirmed that the meeting has been called when contacted yesterday.

“I received the notice. This (meeting) is (in regards) the DUN Consultative Committee on MA63 (Malaysia Agreement 1963). I only saw this notice this morning (yesterday),” she said.

The notice, sighted by The Borneo Post, was issued yesterday by DUN secretary Pele Peter Tinggom, who is also the secretary of the Consultative Committee.

It said the meeting was requested by Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How in a letter to the DUN Speaker Dato Sri Mohd Asfia Awang Nassar, who is also the committee’s chairman, on May 13.

It also said that the meeting was in response to the joint press statement issued by See, Irene Chang (Bukit Assek) and Chiew Chiu Sing (Tanjong Batu), on May 17, and a separate statement by Dato Idris Buang (Muara Tuang) on May 18.

According to the agenda, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg will address the meeting, followed by a speech by the committee’s chairman before See and Sharifah Hasidah are given the floor.

Based on the call in the joint press statement, the committee is expected to deliberate on matters pertaining to the negotiation, dealing and arrangement between the Sarawak government and Petronas to safeguard the State’s sovereign rights and interests to oil and gas within the territory of Sarawak.

See, Chang and Chiew had said the negotiation, arrangement and agreement reached between the Sarawak government and Petronas and publicly announced on May 8 had proceeded without prior notice, deliberation nor sanction of the Consultative Committee on Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

They pointed out that DUN had on Nov 6, 2018 unanimously approved the establishment of the Consultative Committee to determine and agree upon the representations for submission to the Sarawak representatives of the MA63 Steering Committee to advance and safeguard the special interests, rights and position of Sarawak as enshrined in MA63 and the Federal Constitution and to meet the expectations of Sarawakians for greater autonomy and devolution of powers to the State.