Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Government must reclaim full control over its petroleum and gas resources, as its territorial sovereignty is equal to Sarawak’s, says Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan.
He stressed that Sabah’s ownership of its continental shelf and all resources therein has been recognised since the 1954 Orders in Council, which extended the State’s boundaries beyond the foreshore.
Advertisement (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});These boundaries were legally acknowledged before Malaysia Day in 1963 and later cemented in Article 1(3) of the Federal Constitution.
“This is not a request. Sabah’s rights over its oil and gas are a constitutional fact, just as they are for Sarawak,” he said in a statement, Monday.
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However, this rightful share was slashed in 1976 when Sabah was forced to accept a mere 5pc cash payment through an agreement with Petronas.
Advertisement“The 1976 ‘Oil Surrender Agreement’ stripped Sabah of its rightful earnings. According to the December 1976 State Assembly Hansard, we were given RM20 million while Petronas and the Federal Government pocketed RM380 million — 95pc of the revenue.
“This is nothing short of an economic injustice. Sabah has lost billions over the decades. We cannot afford to be short-changed any longer.”
AdvertisementJeffrey made it clear that any concessions Petronas grants to Sarawak must be equally extended to Sabah.
“Our position is simple: What Sarawak gets, Sabah must get — nothing more, nothing less. We will not settle for anything less than what is rightfully ours,” he declared.
Jeffrey said he supported the former Sarawak Attorney-General Dato’ Sri JC Fong’s stance that Sarawak retained ownership of its land and petroleum resources, asserting that Sabah’s rights are no different.
Speaking at a recent forum, Fong argued that Sarawak maintained control over its petroleum resources upon Malaysia’s formation in 1963, as constitutional provisions safeguarded these assets under state jurisdiction.
He further explained that the Borneo State (Legislative Powers) Order 1963 granted Sarawak authority over gas distribution and mineral resource management, ensuring that its petroleum wealth was never transferred to the Federal Government.
