‘Stop hiding; stand up to Putrajaya’

Jeffrey Kitingan says if Chief Minister Musa Aman is aiming for shares in Petronas then he should ask for 95% stake.

KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Musa Aman’s move to use bloggers to stoke discussions on Sabah’s oil and gas rights is a cowardice act, even if it is merely to gauge the federal government’s receptiveness, said political maverick Jeffrey Kitingan.

“It is not proper and transparent governance. The suggestion (to use bloggers to fight his battles) came up after he (Musa) refused to discuss the matter in depth during assembly.

“The Chief Minister should realise that it is not wrong for him and the state government to demand for ownership of Petronas.

“It is the legal right of the governments of the oil producing states, Terengganu, Kelantan, Sabah and Sarawak, to be entitled to full ownership of Petronas.

“What is he so afraid of? ” asked Kitingan.

Kitingan’s latest statement comes amid speculation that Musa is eyeing shares in Petronas instead of higher oil royalties for the state.

“The suggestion (of shares) is an option for Sabah but the chief minister must first be able to stand up to the government instead of resorting to ‘testing the waters’.

He should use the backing of the lawmakers, the state government and Sabahans to make a stand in this motion.

“The state legislature alone would have given him a good backing,” said Kitingan, who is also oppostition STAR Sabah chapter chairman.

The Bingkor assemblyman further criticised certain state leaders for their misconception of ‘good relations’ with the federal government.

“The Chief Minister and the Sabah government should realise that the ‘good relations’ between the state and the federal government is non-existent and just a figment of these leaders’ imagination.

“If indeed it does exist, it should be proven by the readiness of both the federal and state government to review the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and to discuss the restoration of oil ownership.

“If the past history of distribution of oil revenue is any gauge, 95% of Petronas’ shareholding should be given to the oil producing states and the remaining 5% shares be given to the federal government as a gesture of goodwill by the oil producing states” added Kitingan.

In March 26, 1975, the late Tun Razak had signed a vesting order under the Petroleum Development Act 1974, vesting Sabah and Sarawak’s oil and gas resources in Petronas.

According to Kitingan, the federal parliament had no legal power or authority to do so as petroleum and gas belonged to the Sabah government under the state list of the federal constitution.

“The Chief Minister and the Sabah government should stop misleading the people.”

“If they have any conscience for the plight, welfare and poverty of Sabahans, they should take immediate steps to restore and regain Sabah’s oil and gas ownership rights,” he said.