By Simon Peter
KUCHING, June 20, 2014: Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen today called on the
Sarawak Barisan Nasional to review its position in the federal government and
Sarawak's status in Malaysia from an equal partner to a state.
Chong made the call when his motion for an increase in oil
and gas royalties from 5 % to 20% was left in a lurch when Parliament prematurely
adjourned at 1pm after the morning
session yesterday.
According to him, there was ample time to table and debate
his motion should Parliament resumed its sitting at 2.30pm and to end at 5.30pm,
in accordance with Standing Order.
"However, after finishing with all the government
businesses at 1pm yesterday, instead of having my motion debated in the house
in the afternoon, Prime Minister Najib Razak and his administration chose to
adjourn the meeting and have no more sitting in the afternoon.
"It is thus clear that Najib is avoiding the royalty issue," Chong, who is also the
Bandar Kuching Member of Parliament, said.
"It is obvious that there is a divergence of stands
between the BN state government and the BN federal government is obvious.
"While all the Sarawak BN state legislators
supported the motion for the 20% oil and gas royalties, only three Sarawak BN
MPs supported my Letter of Petition to debate the issue in Parliament.
"While Chief Minister Adenan Satem is firm on the royalty
demand, Najib is reluctant to accede to such demand.
"As such, it is time for Sarawak BN to re-think and
review its position in the national BN Government and Sarawak’s status in
Malaysia, which has been reduced from the status of an equal partner to Malaya
to that of one of the states in the Federation of Malaysia," he said.
On Wednesday, Chong submitted to Najib, through Minister
in the Prime Minister's Department Shahidan Kassim, the Letter of Petition to
request for his motion on oil and gas royalties to be debated in Parliament
yesterday.
This Letter of Petition was signed by 87 Members of
Parliament comprising 84 Pakatan MPs and three Sarawak BN MPs.
The motion read that the Parliament do pass the following
resolutions:
1. The Federal Government do agree with the request of
the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly and the State Government of Sarawak to
increase the oil and gas royalties payable to Sarawak in lieu of oil and gas
rights, from the present 5% to 20% of the gross value of oil and gas extracted
from the surrounding water of Sarawak.
2. The Federal Government shall within this year put into
effect all legal documentation for the increment of the Royalty rights from 5%
to 20%.
Chong explained that the resolutions are essential to
give effect to the request of the Sarawak state government and Sarawak State
Assembly for Sarawak’s entitlement to oil and gas royalties be increased from the
present 5% to 20%.
"Without such resolutions being made in the
Parliament, all promises and sweet talks by Najib remains empty promises and
talks only.
"Right from the outset, immediately after Sarawak
State Legislative Assembly passed the motion for the 20% royalties on May 6, 2014,
Najib has been evasive and non-committal about Sarawak government’s request.
"My motion in Parliament is the best test to see
whether Najib is sincere about the matter and he failed the test," he
said.
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