KUCHING: Kota Sentosa Assemblyman and Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Public Complaints Bureau chief, Wilfred Yap Sau Sin, described the recent parliamentary replies by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, as a misrepresentation of Sarawak’s constitutional and statutory rights over oil and gas resources.
He said Azalina’s statement, implying that Sarawak’s authority came from “commercial cooperation” with PETRONAS, was misleading, stressing that such rights are grounded in the Oil Mining Ordinance (OMO) 1958.
“The OMO, a pre-Malaysia statute enacted by the Sarawak State Assembly, has never been repealed and continues to provide Sarawak with full legal authority to regulate its oil and gas resources,” Yap said in a statement on Saturday.
He pointed out that the OMO predates the Petroleum Development Act (PDA) 1974 by more than 15 years, and overlooking this fact amounts to misstating the law and misleading the public.
Yap also emphasised that the PDA, enacted unilaterally without Sarawak’s consent, cannot override the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), which safeguarded Sarawak’s control over its natural resources.
“Sarawak did not cede these rights upon joining Malaysia,” he said.
He further noted the omission of the Joint Declaration signed on May 21, 2025, between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
The declaration, he explained, recognises Sarawak’s authority under the OMO 1958 and the Distribution of Gas Ordinance (DGO) 2016, to appoint PETROS as the sole gas aggregator in Sarawak effective March 1, 2025, and confirms that PETRONAS may continue operations but only within Sarawak’s regulatory framework.
“This declaration is binding and enforceable, and most importantly, it affirms Sarawak’s pre-existing legal rights,” he said.
Yap stressed that Sarawak’s position is secured through law, not federal concessions.
“The federal government must honour both MA63 and the Joint Declaration of May 2025. Sarawakians will not accept any attempt to downplay or erase our legally recognised rights,” he said.
