KUCHING: President of State Reform Party Sarawak (Star) Lina Soo (pic) is supporting the Sarawak government’s resolve to carry on with its 5% sales tax on for-export petroleum and petroleum products, and its proposal to the federal government to lower the 38% Petroleum Income Tax.
Soo was referring to an announcement by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg on the outcome of the recent MA63 committee meeting in Putrajaya.
In fact, Soo proposed that since the federal government has provided inadequate funds for schools, federal roads and bridges in the state, the answer lay in increasing the Sarawak petroleum sales tax to 20%.
“There is no reason why Sarawak as landowner is getting much less revenue from our oil and gas compared to the Federal Petroleum Tax of 38%,” she said yesterday.
Star also supports the four non-negotiable rights – immigration, state legislation vis-à-vis federal laws, Sarawak’s territorial sovereignty (border and sea), and resources.
“As landowner, Sarawak is entitled to all property rights and economic rights over our resources, including oil and gas, and over our land and territory,” she said.
However, Soo regretted that the declaration made by the Sarawak MA63 committee, though excellent in principle, falls short on specifics.
The committee had failed to convince Soo on how the Sarawak government would take the necessary constitutional steps to safeguard Sarawak territorial integrity and claim ownership of the oil and gas for future generations.
Since the discord with Petronas over the oil and gas rights emerged, Star had consistently urged the state government to pass a law in the state legislature to repudiate the PDA and Territorial Sea Act (TSA).
“This constitutional provision must be formalised and gazetted by the legislature to lock in our sovereignty over our natural resources for our future generations.
“If, as what Abang Johari has said that silence means consent, our silence on both Acts may be construed as consent and acquiescence. This would be fatal to our future generations,” she said.
On Petronas’ position in Sarawak, Soo said that the Sarawak Oil Mining Ordinance (OMO) states that all oil mining companies exploring, prospecting and mining oil and gas in Sarawak must apply for permits and pay all dues.
“It is as loud as daylight that no oil mining company can operate without observing Sarawak laws, as no oil mining company can be bigger than the state of Sarawak,” she said.
Again, Soo reiterated her call to require non-Sarawakians to produce their passports when entering and leaving the state. This is the clearest expression of the state’s immigration autonomy.
On the negotiable issue that Sarawak land placed under the Federal Land Commission could be returned to Sarawak, Soo fully supported and looked forward to the return of a huge parcel of land at Matang that was allocated to the federal government. It was now overgrown with grass and was an eyesore.
Also on the return of assets under federal control back to Sarawak, Soo also proposed that the Sarawak government should take over the federal-owned Bintulu Port as had been done with Bakun hydro-power dam. After all, Bintulu Port is used to ship out Sarawak oil and gas, which are Sarawak resources.
“Sarawakians, please support the government’s stand as laid out by Abang Johari. Sarawak’s rights rest with its government and no one else. It is the duty of the government to formulate, legislate and enforce the laws on state rights in the interest of the people and future generations,” she said.
Doubts and concern may be cast upon the effectiveness of such proposal as it has taken both the federal and state governments 56 years to acknowledge their failure to comply with the MA63.
Without the participation of a principal signatory, the British Government, it may mean that the MA63 has fallen into disuse and is no longer binding, said Soo.
“After all, MA63 is an international treaty and bound by the International Law on Treaties,” she said.
