Dr Philip Raja
MIRI (Sept 14): The PBK potential candidate for Mulu has wrongly interpreted the laws and turned a blind eye on the significant progress achieved by GPS state government in regaining Sarawak rights in the oil and gas industry, said Rurum Kelabit Sarawak president Dato Dr Philip Raja in a statement.
Dr Philip was responding to an earlier statement by Dr Richard Iboh published in the The Borneo Post on Sept 9, deriding Mulu assemblyman Dato Gerawat Gala for saying that much progress has been achieved in claiming state rights in the oil and gas industry under GPS rule which has brought about much benefits but which Dr Richard claimed “whatever mentioned about oil and gas is as good as Mat Jenin (illusionary) story”.
“A lot of progress achieved but the job is not yet finished and Dr Richard totally disregarded the progress achieved by GPS government through state-federal negotiations, the court case with Petronas and bravery of Tok Nan to regain Sarawak rights under MA63,’he said, referring to the late chief minister Pehin Sri Adenan Satem.
Dr Philip is optimistic that Sarawak will progress further on issues related to the Territorial Sea Act, Oil Mining Ordinance (OMO)and Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) as Gerawat, an Orang Ulu with a legal background, is one of the members of the state-federal committee on MA63.
Dr Philip said GPS has run the state government independently from BN since the last state election and is not a BN turncoat and it has brought developments to remote communities in Bario and Long Lellang, Dr Richard’s Kelabit village.
He pointed to road connectivity, airports, telecommunication towers and clean piped water to the villages unlike in the past when life there was backward and tough as there was little basic infrastructure and amenities.
“What Mat Jenin is he talking about! We are seeing all these progress now in the rural areas. Petronas has paid state government RM3 billion in sales tax per year, Petros been set up as a state entity to venture into the oil and gas resources of Sarawak,” he pointed out.
With OMO, gas distribution is now under the state administration and other agreed rights are gradually devolved into the state jurisdiction under the government led by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg, he added.
Osart Jallong
Osart Jallong, a Miri-based Kelabit lawyer from Long Peluan, dismissed the statement as a gimmick for getting political limelight, saying Gerawat has delivered many projects that were outlined in his election manifesto.
“Dr Richard lacked correct understanding of the laws and the complexities and realities of the laws, inter-government negotiations and their implications, he said.
He was referring to full legal implications of Article 150 of the Federal Constitution, the Emergency Ordinances enacted under the 1969 Emergency, the Petroleum Development Act 1974, the Continental Shelf Act, the Territorial Sea Act and the Petroleum Agreements made between Sarawak government, federal government and Petronas relating to the rights to oil and gas exploration and production onshore and offshore Sarawak.
Osart said Sarawak’s territorial rights over its continental shelf is provided in the Order in Council 1958 and this has been the basis of the state’s negotiations with Petronas and not based on Unclos (United Nations Law Convention on Law of the Sea) as premised by Dr Richard.
Unclos defines and grants sovereignty over continental shelf to maritime nations who are UN member nations and are signatories of Unclos. Malaysia is a member of UN and signatory to Unclos while Sarawak, by itself, is not a member and signatory.