KUCHING: Former senator Jaziri Alkaf Abdillah Suffian defended Sarawak’s right to appoint Petroleum Sarawak Bhd (PETROS) as the state’s sole gas aggregator, saying the move is not political brinkmanship but about economic justice.
He said Sarawak’s struggle has never been about undermining the federation but about reclaiming rights that predate the Petroleum Development Act 1974 (PDA74) itself.
“Sarawak entered Malaysia in 1963 as an equal partner under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), with control over our resources and immigration.
“The PDA74, while a federal law, was enacted without the consent of the Sarawak legislature at the time.
“This remains contentious among constitutional scholars. To suggest that Sarawak’s exercise of resource management equates to threatening the federation is, it is in my view, to overlook decades of revenue centralisation that have come at the expense of our own development and progress,” he said in a statement today.
Jaziri further stressed that PETROS’ role was not aimed at crippling Petroliam Nasional Bhd’s (PETRONAS’) competitiveness but to ensure Sarawak receives a direct, transparent and fair share of wealth generated from its own shores.
He added that the strength of the federation lies in mutual respect and recognition of each region’s rights.
“If Kuala Lumpur can engage Sarawak in good faith, we can protect PETRONAS’ global standing while honouring Sarawak’s autonomy,” he said.
Jaziri urged that discussions should go beyond legal technicalities and focus on ensuring every Sarawakian community – from the coast to the highlands – tangibly benefits from the state’s natural resources.
“That, to me, is the spirit of Malaysia worth preserving,” he said.
