S4S joyous over Federal Court’s dismissal of Petronas bid

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Ngieng (backrow – sixth left) with S4S supporters demonstrating outside Petronas Carigali office in Lutong on Thursday.

MIRI: Sarawak for Sarawakians (S4S) shares the joy of the Sarawak government yesterday winning the first court battle over the right to ownership to its oil and gas resources.

The Federal Court in Kuala Lumpur yesterday dismissed Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) application for leave to commence proceedings against the Sarawak government.

Petronas had filed an application for leave to commence proceedings under Article 4 (4) of the Federal Constitution, seeking a declaration that the Petroleum Development Act 1974 (PDA) applied with regard to the regulatory control of upstream activities in Sarawak.

The company is also seeking a declaration that the Sarawak Oil Mining Ordinance (OMO) 1958 was impliedly repealed by the PDA.

On Thursday, S4S Miri held a demonstration outside the Petronas Carigali Office in Lutong here to protest Petronas’ suit against the Sarawak government over ownership rights to oil and gas resources.

Organising chairman Ngieng Chew Seng, former Pujut assemblyman Fong Pau Teck and S4S Miri spokesperson Erick Chin Fen Siong were among 30 S4S supporters taking part in the demonstration.

“S4S is overjoyed with the success of our state government in winning the court case today (yesterday). It is a good start for Sarawak to reclaim its rights under MA63, which we are supporting over the past few years,” said Ngieng yesterday when asked by The Borneo Post to comment on the court ruling.

He hoped that the state government will help enlighten especially Sarawakians on the relevant laws and the setting up of the state owned petroleum entity – Petros (launched on March 6, 2018) and the new licensing and regulatory regime that will be imposed by the Sarawak Government on July 1, 2018.

“I believe many people including our friends working in Petronas were apprehensive with the change in Petronas’ roles in Sarawak. They are worried being retrenched and so on. We hope that the government or Petros is transparent in their dealings,” he said.

On S4S campaign to get motorists to boycott fuel sold by Petronas, Ngieng said they will continue with their campaign as Petronas has over 40 years been depriving Sarawak of its rights and exploiting its oil and gas and yet did little for Sarawak.

“We will continue to print up to 50,000 car stickers to campaign to motorists to boycott Petronas. So far over 2,000 stickers have been printed and are being distributed to the public since last week,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, in drumming up support for the state government to regain further its rights under MA63, Ngieng said S4S will hold an auto rally in conjunction with Sarawak Independence Day on July 22.

“The public are welcome to take part in the rally from Miri to Batu Niah, where we will take the opportunity to update especially those who petitioned with us for the reclaiming of Sarawak’s rights.

“A total of 260,000 signatures were collected for the petition which we have submitted to the State Government and the United Nations in July 2016,” Ngieng added.