Umno to 'solve' Kelantan oil royalty woes before GE13

Kelantan Umno has pledged to solve Kelantan’s oil royalty woes in a bid to deprive the PAS-led state government of political ammunition in the next general election.

According to Utusan Malaysia today, Kelantan Umno liaison chief Mustapa Mohamed (left) said the party will resolve the matter as soon as possible before the 13th general election.

“All this is not a problem, we will resolve it tactfully, unlike PAS in Kelantan which behaves as if it is the opposition even though it is the government. Whatever we do, we do according to law,” he was quoted as saying.

Mustapa who is also international trade and industry minister, was responding to Umno veteran and Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah’s call for BN to resolve the demand of the Kelantanese for oil royalty.

The Kelantan government had filed a legal suit against the federal government in August 2010 over the matter. The trial is still ongoing.

Mustapa, in the report, added that Umno is aiming to capture 23 of the 33 state seats in Kelantan come the general election, enough to topple the PAS-led government in the state.