Chong Chieng Jen
KUCHING: The federal cabinet would have to be fully formed and then, to meet and discuss the promise of 20 per cent of oil and gas (O&G) royalties to Sarawak.
In stating this, Stampin MP Chong Chieng Jen who is also Pakatan Harapan (PH) Sarawak chairman, views this as ‘just one thing’ – there is also the filing by Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) before the Federal Court to seek the declaration of ownership of petroleum resources in Malaysia.
“We would have to wait until the (federal) cabinet is formed and meet to discuss. We will decide and announce later.
“And there is a (Petronas) law suit now. We shall see what happens on June 12,” Chong told reporters during a press conference here yesterday when responding to a question on why the recent announcement by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad only mentioned about five per cent of O&G royalties to Sarawak.
At present, Sarawak is getting five per cent of O&G royalties from the federal government.
The PH election manifesto for the May 9 parliamentary polls pledged to grant 20 per cent of O&G royalties to Sarawak.
Chong, who is also Kota Sentosa assemblyman, said what Dr Mahathir announced earlier was more about the PH federal government granting the five per cent O&G royalties to oil-producing states in Malaysia.
According to Chong, the Kelantan state government under Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) did not get the five per cent O&G royalties directly from the previous Barisan Nasional (BN) federal government.
“After the 10th or 11th general election, PAS wrested Terengganu back from BN.
“What then BN federal government did was channelling the five per cent O&G royalties to an agency set up by them, instead of directly to the state government.
“What Dr Mahathir said was that we, the PH federal government, would not do what the previous BN federal government did. The PH federal government would give the five per cent O&G royalties directly to the government of oil-producing states,” explained Chong.
He said although Sarawak is now under the opposition rule, the PH federal government would grant the five per cent O&G royalties directly to the Sarawak government.