Borneo activists slam PETRONAS’ legal bid on Sarawak’s oil and gas as ‘humiliating, cruel and unjust’

Peter John Jaban

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, Sept 8: A group of Borneo activists has labelled Petroliam Nasional Berhad’s (PETRONAS) intention to resort to court in a bid to maintain control over the trading and extraction of gas and oil-related products in Sarawak as a “humiliating, cruel and unjust attempt to seize what is not theirs”.

In a joint statement, Sarawak Association for People’s Aspirations (SAPA) Publicity and Information chief Peter John Jaban pointed out that the blatant move disregards the special autonomy and inherent rights of the people of Sarawak under both domestic and international law.

He argued that this intention perpetuates a legacy of exploitation and marginalisation that Sarawak and Sabah have endured for decades.

“It is clearly stated in the Oil Mining Ordinance of 1958 (OMO58) that all oil and gas resources found within 200 nautical miles of Sarawak’s waters rightfully belong to the region.

“Despite this, PETRONAS has long monopolised these resources, funnelling wealth to Malaya at the expense of Sarawak and Sabah,” he said in a joint statement today.

Peter John cited prominent figures, such as Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who have openly revealed that since 1974, PETRONAS has paid RM40 billion annually to the United Malays National Organisation (Umno), while Sarawak and Sabah, which contribute the majority of Malaysia’s oil reserves, have received only a pittance in return.

He also highlighted the controversial passage of the Continental Shelf Act 1966 (CSA66) and Petroleum Development Act 1974 (PDA74), which effectively transferred control of Sabah and Sarawak’s oil and gas resources to the federal government, were passed in breach of the constitutional safeguards outlined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

“These safeguards protected the territorial boundaries and resources of Sabah and Sarawak, which should not have altered without their consent. Furthermore, these principles violated international law principles that uphold the integrity of pre-existing territorial boundaries.

“As these resources fall within the 200 nautical miles regulated under the United Nations’ Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), all matters concerning their ownership and regulation should rightfully be decided by the International Court of Justice (ICJ); not domestic courts dominated by federal interests,” he added.

Peter John stressed that Sarawak-owned Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (Petros) taking full control over the region’s oil and gas resources is not only justified but essential for ensuring the future economic independence of Sarawak.

Similarly, he emphasised that Sabah must regain its rightful control over its own natural wealth, which has long been siphoned away under unfair federal agreements.

“The formation of Malaysia in 1963 was based on an equal partnership between Malaya, Sabah, and Sarawak. However, this partnership has been consistently undermined, leaving Sarawak and Sabah as mere economic colonies of Malaya.

“If their rights continue to be violated and their resources exploited, leaving Malaysia may be the only path to securing true autonomy and justice,” he stressed.

The joint statement was co-signed by Borneo’s Plight in Malaysia Foundation (BoPiMaFo) president Daniel John Jambun, Sabah Sarawak Rights Australia New Zealand (SSRANZ) president Robert Pei, Republic of Sabah North Borneo (RSNB) president Moses Anap, and Gabungan Orang Asal Sabah Sarawak (GOASS) ambassador Themotty Jagak.

An earlier report indicated that PETRONAS is considering legal action to maintain its majority control over Malaysia’s oil and gas resources amid mounting pressure from Sarawak, which seeks to assume full control over the trading and management of the substantial natural wealth and resources in the region.

This follows Petros positioning itself to become the sole gas aggregator, which challenges PETRONAS’ decades-long dominance in the sector since 1974. – DayakDaily