KUCHING: Former Mas Gading Member of Parliament, Patrick Anek Uren, has urged the state government to be bold and brave in its dealing with the federal government over the issue of oil and gas (O&G) from Sarawak land and its subsoil.
He urged Premier Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg and his State Cabinet to rally firmly so as to benefit all Sarawakians in the pursuit of their education, health, and overall social and economic development, and long into the future.
Anek, who is also a former Tasik Biru assemblyman, also reminded the state government to be cautious when supporting a proposal to cooperate with PETRONAS in the exploitation and extraction of oil and gas found within Sarawak’s territory.
“Any cooperation with PETRONAS cannot and should not be based on any formula that only recognises that it is the giant and PETROS an ant in the oil industry,” Anek said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Indeed, to only recognise PETROS as an ant merely for being a new player in the industry is wrong and mischievous,” he added.
He said any cooperation between PETRONAS and PETROS must begin from a point that recognises the oil and gas resources belong to Sarawak.
“Therefore the laws of Sarawak must apply to any exploiter in the oil and gas industries within Sarawak’s land and its subsoil,” he said, adding that PETRONAS must also play by the same rule.
He said PETRONAS has exploited, extracted, and profited from the oil and gas resources in Sarawak since 1976.
He added, out of the revenues earned, five per cent has been given to Sarawak.
“As has been reported, Sarawak produces 860,000 barrels of oil daily, and it has been producing a huge quantity of gas as well.
“Further, it has been reported that the gas reserved within the territory of Sarawak is comparable with that of those estimated in the other major gas producing nations like Russia and Saudi Arabia,” Anek noted.
He said PETRONAS has only contributed to the development of Malaya with the wealth from oil and gas, that is, 95 per cent of the revenues since 1976 has inflated Khazanah Negara by many trillions of ringgits.
“There is absolutely nothing to show in Sarawak where the wealth is extracted from,” he said.
On the claim by former Finance Minister, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, that former Sarawak Chief Minister, Tun Abdul Rahman Yakub, had given his consent in perpetuity to PETRONAS to own, manage and control all rights over oil and gas in Sarawak on a consideration of the former giving five per cent commission, Anek argued that it is not a valid claim in law.
He said the letter signed and issued by the former chief is not a legal document as it is ultra vires the Sarawak Constitution and the Federal Constitution.
“That letter is void in law,” said Anek, who is a senior lawyer.
