TUMPAT: Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has suggested that a report by the special committee to study Kelantan’s claims on petroleum royalty be made public.
He said the report was completed and presented to the Cabinet but was still a confidential document which had not been made public.
“I am communicating with the prime minister (Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak) who is overseas and if he agrees, the Cabinet can pass it by Wednesday.
“We (the government) can declassify the document, but we will get the advice from the attorney-general and the prime minister himself,” he told reporters after attending a Meet-the-Prime-Minister session at the home of local resident, the late Mahmod Kamaruddin in Kampung Telaga Bata here yesterday.
Muhyiddin said the report was drawn up by the committee which is headed by former chief justice Tun Abdul Hamid Mohamed, and it included Tengku Mahkota Kelantan Tengku Muhammad Fa-iz Petra ibni Sultan Ismail Petra.
He said the report clearly stated that the federal government’s stand on the matter was correct because there was no petrol production within three nautical miles of Kelantan’s coastline.
Muhyiddin said in his view, the document should be made public and he would discuss it with Kelantan Barisan National (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed because it (the document) could clarify the real situation on the petroleum royalty.
“This is because PAS is still talking about it even though they have said that BN should not raise the issue (on royalty) as it is still in court but they (PAS) have put up billboards and their leaders talk about it in their speeches,” he noted.
He said the suggestion to make the document public was a pro-active approach which had to be taken to clear the matter with the public.
“If the Kelantan people do not know the facts, they will surely be angry with the government,” he said.
Muhyiddin said, if the prime minister agreed with the suggestion, the people could read the report, including from the aspect of the legislation, marine laws, as well as state and federal constitutions.
“It depends on the prime minister, whether he agrees or if it has to be kept confidential,” he said.
He said if the prime minister and the Cabinet agreed this Wednesday, the document could be made public to the people before Thursday.
Muhyiddin, who is also BN deputy chairman, was in Kelantan to campaign for the Pengkalan Kubor state seat by-election on Thursday (Sept 25). — Bernama