KUCHING: Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak Baru (PBDSB) highlighted that the ‘20 per cent’ is rather being the hot topic nowadays between both PH Sarawak and GPS but none of both, had even bother to talk about the next course of action for the return of Sarawak autonomous rights under MA63.
PBDSB president Cobbold John stressed that both PH Sarawak and GPS are disputing back and forth on the 5% and 20% but does not have any update on the next course of action for restoring Sarawak rights under MA63.
Ever since PETRONAS had filed legal action against Sarawak government, it seems like the only thing which both parties from PH Sarawak and GPS are interested to talk about, are matters related to the oil royalties until now. What happens to the bigger picture of the main agenda for Sarawak autonomous rights? What happens to the guaranteed protection of Sarawak rights as one of the sovereign states which formed the Federation of Malaysia under MA63 and Malaysia Constitution? Cobbold questioned has it been highly overshadowed by these two factions (PH Sarawak and GPS) intentionally?
PH Sarawak is defending its manifesto by making its strong points on the 20% royalty or profit sharing proposal but they too must remember that as the federal government of the day and as Sarawakians, shouldn’t they be more concerned about restoring Sarawak rights first?
Cobbold asked again, by convincing their headquarters in Malaya to respect what was agreed, only by doing so, then they could justify their manifesto on Sarawak’s oil & gas royalties and profit issues. Why not just restore 100% of Sarawak rights first instead? Are they afraid that by doing so, it might go against the favour of PETRONAS?
“Sarawakians want to see the restoration of its autonomy and if time spent on percentage for oil & gas royalty or profit issue could be replaced with the fight for restoration of Sarawak rights, at least we can see initiatives had been carried out by both sides of the faction but now, how sincere is PH willing to restore Sarawak’s rights back to its origin state which still remains a big question and how sincere is GPS finally having the guts to finally speak up for Sarawak, is it for
the sake of their political survival and well being? It still remains as a doubt, in everyone’s mind,” stressed Cobbold through the press release.
PBDSB opines that PH Sarawak should now officially kick start its fight for justice of Sarawak’s rights, as they should know by now, it is not just about their manifesto for Sarawak alone, it is about Sarawak rights being as one of the equal partners as the three (3) sovereign nations which formed Malaysia. If PH Sarawak were to enable and fulfil its restoration, there is no such need to further politicise the oil royalties issue; they only need to ensure federal complies with Sarawak rights as how it is spelled in MA63 and provide continuous assurance to guarantee that Sarawak autonomy is duly honoured under the Malaysian Constitution. Let Sarawak determine and dictate its way forward as how an automous state should be.
“Restore back all the amendments made during the proclamations of emergency period to its origin by making Sarawak an official equal partner as one of three nations originally, as how a true nation’s partnership is supposed to be. Will there be any guarantee that PH federal government shall or will allow Sarawak to be empowered based on its autonomous rights? We will just have to wait and see as of now,” added Cobbold to conclude the press statement.
