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Doris said the declaration was intended to serve as a basis for resolving outstanding issues through negotiation and cooperation.
KUCHING (Jan 22): Sri Aman MP Dato Sri Doris Sophia Brodie has asked if Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) has the blessing or consent of the Federal Government and the Prime Minister before initiating its latest legal action against the Sarawak Government.
She described Petronas’ move to file a motion at the Federal Court in Putrajaya on Jan 12 as “janggal dan amat mengecewakan (awkward and very disappointing”, particularly in light of the joint declaration signed by the Prime Minister and the Sarawak Premier on May 21 last year.
Speaking during the debate on the Motion of Thanks for the Royal Address in the Dewan Rakyat, Doris said the declaration was intended to serve as a basis for resolving outstanding issues through negotiation and cooperation.
“Therefore, Sri Aman wants to ask directly and clearly whether this action by Petronas received the blessing, permission or consent of the Federal Government and the Prime Minister himself, especially since Petronas is not a private entity separate from the Government,” she said.
Doris pointed out that Petronas was established through an Act of Parliament, placed under the control of the Prime Minister, and created from the outset as a strategic national instrument.
“As such, it is difficult for the people of Sarawak to accept that this action took place without the knowledge, influence or consent of the Federal Government,” she added.
She said the move was even more disappointing as it was taken while commercial negotiations between the parties were still ongoing and had yet to be finalised.
“This action appears to belittle the spirit of consensus, challenge trust, and undermine a process that is supposedly built on mutual respect,” she said.
Doris stressed that the issue went beyond commercial considerations, saying it touched on the dignity of Sarawak, the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), and the principle of genuine partnership within the Malaysian Federation.
She called on the Federal Government to state its position clearly on the matter.
On January 12, Petronas said in a statement that it had filed an application which sought determination by the Federal Court on the legal position applicable to Petronas’ operations in Sarawak, to ensure that the company continues to operate in full compliance with the applicable laws and sound governance practices.
“It is not intended to challenge Sarawak’s development aspirations or hinder the role of Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (Petros) in the state’s energy sector.”
It said the decision to file the motion follows “constructive engagements” since 2024 with Petros and both the Federal and State Governments through a series of dialogues and negotiations.
“While progress has been made on many commercial arrangements and partnerships – including the signing of Commercial Settlement Agreement (CSA) in 2020 – there have been differences which led to uncertainty in respect of the obligations applicable to Petronas,” it said.
The Federal Court has set March 2 for the case management on Petronas’ motion which named the Federal and Sarawak governments as respondents.
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