KUCHING: Discussions on the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) will not affect the ongoing negotiations between Petronas and Petros, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.
Fadillah said the negotiations between Petronas and Petros are a specific matter.
“Other matters are ongoing as well. As I’ve said, Petros and Petronas are one matter.
“But there are many other matters we are discussing, and many of the issues (under MA63) have already been resolved,” he told reporters after officiating at the Borneo Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) event held at a hotel here today.
He said all negotiations related to MA63 involve various parties, including the state government, the Attorney General’s Department, and the Sarawak State Attorney-General’s Office.
“In fact, all these negotiations involve various parties, including under my own leadership as chairman of the MA63 Technical Committee.
“It is represented by all parties, including the state government, various departments, the Attorney General’s Department, and the Sarawak State Attorney-General’s Office,” he said.
Fadillah explained that some matters involve legal questions that can only be resolved through the courts, but the current approach is to seek a win-win solution.
“The negotiations will require not just discussions between the Prime Minister and the Premier, but also the involvement of the Sarawak State Attorney-General, the Federal Attorney General, as well as Petronas and Petros. So, these negotiations will continue.
“As stated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, the goal is to find a win-win method… not constrained by constitutional frameworks and all existing legal provisions,” he said.
Previously, it was reported that the Attorney General (AG) and the State Attorney-General should be given the responsibility to sit down together and advise both the federal and state governments in every dispute involving law and the Federal Constitution.
Senior lawyer Mohamed Haniff Khatri Abdulla said both parties also need to negotiate to resolve the Sarawak government’s claims involving the distribution of the state’s natural resources.
He said this must be implemented by the AG and the State Attorney-General given that there are overlapping legal issues that need to be amended in relation to Parliamentary Acts and State Ordinances, concerning their powers over natural resources in Sarawak.
Mohamed Haniff said the ongoing claims are due to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) not having been resolved and corrected in accordance with constitutional principles and the rule of law.
