File photo for illustration purposes
SIBU: Bukit Assek assemblywoman Irene Chang and Tanjong Batu assemblyman Chiew Chiu Sing will remain as members of the State Legislative Assembly’s (DUN) Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) Consultative Committee.
The DAP reps said this in a joint statement today after Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How resigned from the committee yesterday in protest of negotiations being held between the Sarawak government and Petronas without consulting the committee.
“While we respect See’s decision, we have resolved to remain in the committee to play our roles as entrusted upon us by our party, the State Legislative Assembly and all Sarawakians,” Chang and Chiew said.
“We shall continue to advance and safeguard the special interests, rights and position of Sarawak as enshrined in MA63 and the Federal Constitution.
“No effort shall be spared in ensuring that the expectations of our fellow Sarawakians for greater autonomy and devolution of powers to our state are met through our role in the Consultative Committee,” the statement said.
Having said that, they stood with See in protest against the recent actions of the working committee under Deputy Chief Minister III Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan to not involve the negotiating team from the Consultative Committee in the commercial negotiations with Petronas and Federal Government.
“It is indeed absolutely unacceptable that despite the fact that the working committee under the Deputy Chief Minister is already in the midst of negotiating on the finer details of the terms of settlement and which terms would be known after 3rd August, 2020, and yet the negotiating team from the Consultative Committee has not even been engaged nor been invited to be involved in the ongoing negotiations,” they said.
They said the lack of involvement of the negotiating team from the Consultative Committee defeats the purpose of why it was set up in the first place which was to allow the team to participate and kept abreast on the negotiations between Sarawak, Petronas and the Federal Government.
They added that during a meeting on June 10, 2020, it was agreed that the negotiating team from the Consultative Committee would be empowered to negotiate in the three provinces of the Petroleum Development Act 1974, Continental Shelf Act 1966, and the Territorial Sea Act 2012, which contravenes Article 2b of the Federal Constitution.
“As far as we can remember from the meeting, it was never the purpose of the Consultative Committee to strictly limit or confine its power and authority to just tackle the legal aspects of negotiation.
“It is therefore not right for the working committee under the Deputy Chief Minister to carry on with their unilateral negotiation without roping in the negotiating team from the Consultative Committee.”
Both of them also called on the Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, who heads the negotiating team from the Consultative Committee, to insist that his team be actively engaged in the ongoing negotiations.
“Abdul Karim should be very mindful that a heavy burden lies on his and his negotiating team’s shoulder to ensure that the history of 1975 does not repeat itself with the executive continuing to ignore the boundaries set up by the legislative.
“A heavy burden therefore lies in the negotiating teams hands that Sarawak be socially and economically restored to her rightful place through the role they should play in the negotiation.”
Both of them also called on the Chairman of the Consultative Committee, Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassir to immediately convene a meeting to fill in the void left by See who was representing the voice of the opposition in the negotiating team.
“Since it was the purpose of the Consultative Committee to comprise members from all political parties in the State, the negotiating team would now be void of the voice of the opposition parties.
“It is therefore only right and proper for the Chairman of the Consultative Committee to ensure that all voices from the State Legislative Assembly be continued to be represented and heard.”
They said the vacancy should be filled by either one of them or by Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) president Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh. See is a member of PSB.