After all there’s so much outstanding payment owed to the state … loss of revenue because the provision of Article 112D has not been reviewed.
KUCHING: Regarding the Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir’s idea of selling stakes in Petronas to Sabah and Sarawak, Santubong MP Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar has called it a “sick joke from Putrajaya”.
Besides being “sick”, this “joke”, in Wan Junaidi’s words, has a “tempo” to which he advised Sarawak Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman, Chong Chieng Jen, not to dance to.
He wanted Chong to ask Putrajaya to show Sarawak a little goodwill by just divesting 25 per cent of Petronas’ equity to Sarawak without payment.
“After all there’s so much outstanding payment owed to the state … loss of revenue because the provision of Article 112D has not been reviewed,” he said.
“We lost revenue after Malaysia joined the Asia Free Trade Area (AFTA) in 1985. There are revenues under Part 3, Part 4, Part 5 of the 10th Schedule for Sabah and Sarawak over and above the General Rights contained in the Federal Constitution.”
He said if the reviews were done and the right calculations had been made, there would be hundreds of billions if not trillions of ringgit due to Sarawak since 1969 when the last review under Article 112D was made.
“I am sure the state government would be generous enough to write off the unpaid arrears over the years if the state is given 25 per cent equity shares in Petronas,” he said.
He said Sarawak could then earn dividend from the 25 per cent shares over and above the 5 per cent gratuity which is being paid now and the five per cent sale tax charged by the state government.
“Why has Chong not persuaded Putrajaya to fulfill his promises of giving Sarawak the 20 per cent royalty from Petronas and the 50 per cent of all tax collected in the state?
“After all this promise was made in the State Legislative Assembly (DUN). There might have been thousands of Sarawakian impressed by that brave promise.
“People are waiting for Chong to deliver on that promise or is it just like their manifesto — not to be fulfilled?” he said.
