Oil royalty: I am not taking sides, says Ku Li

The Gua Musang MP says his action to help Kelantan demand oil royalty had not affected Umno and BN struggles.

GUA MUSANG: Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has denied that his action in helping the Kelantan PAS government demand for the oil royalty previously had affected the Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) struggles.

On the contrary, he said, all the statements were made to regain the public confidence, particularly the Kelantan voters, in Umno and the BN especially in facing the 13th general election.

“Furthermore, what I had said in several statements previously were merely directed at Petronas and had nothing to do with the federal government,” he told reporters after opening the delegates meeting of the Gua Musang Umno Wanita, Youth and Puteri movements at Bukit Chekati, here today.

Tengku Razaleigh, who is also the Gua Musang Umno division head, said he did not intend to defend the PAS-led state government, but what he had said was to clarify the actual provision contained in the agreement between Petronas and the state government concerned.

He said he had the right to clarify the matter so that the people would have more confidence in the Umno and BN struggles although it was the responsibility of Petronas to resolve the problem.

“The actual resource [petroleum] was obtained by Petronas and Petronas should be responsible for paying all the claims by the state government concerned as stated in the agreement which I made because I was then the Petronas chairman.”

He said all the agreements made between the state government and Petronas then had also received agreement from the then prime minister the late Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, and everything was stated clearly in the Petroleum Act concerned.

“I am not taking sides with regard to the claims and what I did was for mutual benefits including for the people. If the people benefits, they will certainly support us in the 13th general election to be held soon,” he said.

On preparations to face the general election, Tengku Razaleigh said everything had been well prepared, especially in the Gua Musang division, to retain the Umno stronghold in Kelantan which had never fallen to the opposition.

-Bernama