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KOTA KINABALU: A Warisan leader has denied claims by Sarawak’s Senior Deputy Minister James Masing that the Sabah government, which the party previously led, feared to demand its oil and gas rights from former Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad.
Instead, Warisan Vice President Darell Leiking rejected the allegations saying that Masing was part of the previous Barisan Nasional (BN) government that had failed to restore or fulfill the rights of both states, particularly in regards to oil and gas. , enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement of 1963 (MA63) throughout BN’s reign.
He added that even Sarawak’s chief minister, Abang Johari Openg, was unhappy with BN’s previous technical committee on devolution of authority, co-chaired by Nancy Shukri and Anifah Aman, and described by Abang Johari as “powerless”.
Nancy and Anifah were then ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department and Minister for Foreign Affairs, respectively.
“For me, it’s not about being scared, but (former Sabah Prime Minister) Shafie Apdal knew what he was doing, that’s why Pakatan Harapan-Warisan’s special cabinet committee on MA63 resolved 17 of the 21 issues brought before him. the committee.
“So for Masing to say that Shafie (Warisan) was scared is unfair and wrong. Shafie was handling the matter together with Abang Johari at the time, ”he said.
Leiking, who is a deputy from Penampang, stated that awareness about MA63 today was mainly done during PH-Warisan’s time as the federal government.
“When PH-Warisan was in power, this (oil and gas) was one of the first things on the agenda. So all the good things that have happened are due to the MA63 committee. “
He added that the committee could have addressed the oil and gas issues, which were part of the four unsolved MA63 issues if the PH-Warisan government had not collapsed.
Masing had claimed earlier today that the Warisan-led Sabah government did not demand Putrajaya state’s oil and gas rights because they were “afraid” of Mahathir.
His comments came after Sabah’s Chief Deputy Minister Jeffrey Kitingan said that Sabah would try to strike a trade deal with Petronas, similar to what Sarawak had done.
Masing said Sarawak had approached the Sabah government under Warisan to join them in suing Petronas for the 5% sales tax on petroleum products, but was rejected by one of its ministers.
Leiking, however, said it was unnecessary for Masing to dismiss the Warisan government for being scared, adding that Shafie had his own way of getting the 5% sales tax from Petronas.
He said that it was now up to the current Sabah government to pursue and obtain the same rights that Sarawak had obtained through the courts.
The Warisan government began imposing the 5% sales tax on nine oil and gas companies operating in Sabah in April, but in August, Shafie, then the acting chief minister, said that Petronas was the only one that still had to pay.
“Everybody was trying to resolve the matter, including the prime minister of Sarawak,” Leiking said.
He also told Masing to name the Minister Warisan who rejected them and reveal the context of their conversation, saying that anyone was capable of making such a random claim.
