FULL OR SELECTIVE AUTONOMY?

By : LAWRENCE LEONG

IS THE LOUSY 20 percent such a big deal? PR proclaimed with great pride and fanfare in their Buku Jingga, that is what they will do, amongst other things, if they succeed to win GE13.

Without a shadow of a doubt, even blind Eddy can tell the 15% difference is much better than the hopeless BN's 5%, which has been 'robbing' Sabahans blind, oops, sorry Eddy, since the Petroleum Act 1974 was signed.

Don't get me started on BN, all the water in South China Sea and Sulu Sea cannot wash away the social injustices done to Sabahans. Anyway, since BN is obsolete as far as Unionisation is concern, let's turn on the heat to PR, which claim to champion for our cause. Below is a reproduction of the Buku Jingga.

Sabah and Sarawak as Equal Partners

Recognising the position of Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners in the Malaysian Federation, and honouring previous agreements made, Pakatan Rakyat vows to:

-Reinstate autonomy to Sabah and Sarawak in line with and within the framework of the Federal Constitution and the Federation Agreement.

-Increase the royalties paid on petroleum and hydrocarbon resources to Sabah and Sarawak to 20% from the present 5%.

-Establish a Royal Commission to solve the chronic problem of illegal immigration and citizenship in Sabah.

-Assist bring the level of infrastructural development in Sabah and Sarawak up to par with other states of the Federation.

-Promote national integration between Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia through a fair power-sharing arrangement that fully upholds the spirit of the Federation. [16]

Let's put the points under the microscope and start with the easy one first. Bullet point no. 4 looks good, until you look into PKR manifesto 18.4, which requires the positions of JKKK to the CM to be approved by PKR Malaya.

They talk about power sharing, but with a sword dangling over your heads. Point no. 3 looks good until the following sentence, which is as opaque as an old geezer's eye suffering from cataract. I mean which state is it referring to Kelantan or Selangor and what time frame?

For goodness sake, we are an equal partner, not some back water state of Malaya. This leads to point no. 1 & 2. Often times, it has been repeated that Sabah is now number one, yes number one for being the poorest Nation State in Malaysia.

It seems PR's autonomy is practised selectively, only to their advantage. Sabah is only granted autonomy, but not when it comes to the rights of our oil and gas. So what is the difference between them and BN when it comes to our wealth, 15%, that's the difference.

Many of the PR supporters, especially those from Malaya, shout blindly change, change, change. Sabahans can shout even louder if 80% of your oil and gas comes to our treasury.

These are two examples of royalty sharing in countries closer to home, Indonesia and Timur Leste:-

Example one, Indonesia:-

'The bill, which will go into effect within 12 months, also gives the local government (Aceh) a 70 % share of royalties from the sale of natural resources, including oil and natural gas'. Aceh royalty agreement. Source: AP Worldstream. 19/07/2001.

On the flip side, Timur Leste, although a Sovereign Nation has to struggle with her powerful neighbour, Australia, to claim her rightful share, which is similar to the problem we have been subjected to by BN since the PDA1974, and will continue under PR, with the noticeable difference of 15%.

Example Two, Timur Leste:-

'Oil and gas revenues will form the great majority of Timor-Leste’s economy and government revenue for a while, but the deposits will be exhausted within the lifetimes of many children alive today. Since the oil and gas reserves are offshore and downstream processing will be done in Australia, hardly any spin-off revenues will enter Timor-Leste, with little secondary economic effect.

The Timorese government plans to invest most of the profits in a Petroleum Fund, which should provide revenues after the petroleum is gone. But if that money is mismanaged, squandered or stolen, and if other sectors of the country’s economy are not developed, Timor-Leste’s people will face permanent poverty'. Quote taken from www.oilwatch.org by Guteriano Nicolau & 2 others – Oil in Timur Leste. September 2005.

Therefore my challenge to PR is:-

- Why force us to 'donate' 80% of our wealth from oil/gas when we are the poorest.

-If you are such a good economic manager, why don't you manage like Singapore, with your two oil producing states as bonus?

Your headline boldly reads we are equal partnership with Sarawak and Malaya. How can you claim that we are equal, when our 'donation' is unequal? For equality to be meaningful, at least each Nation State should retain 33.3%, excluding the current 5%, which is not really royalty anyway?

So PR, are you as good as you think or as you say? Can you put yourselves to talk the talk and walk the walk or are you only slightly better than BN? This is why, if for no other reason, we must have the local parties governing Sabah, not necessary in toto, but at least in the majority for the State Assembly.

Sabahans and Sarawakians, we have a choice, we can take the path of example one or two, the ball is in our court.