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Wong Ching Yong
SIBU (March 1): Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Dudong chairman Wong Ching Yong said the state government’s petition to the Federal Court over oil and gas laws were a crucial step towards restoring Sarawak’s rightful status under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
He said the petition, filed to scrutinise the Petroleum Development Act (PDA) 1974, Continental Shelf Act 1966 and Petroleum Mining Act 1966, should not be viewed as a quarrel over resources but an effort to restore status and constitutional balance.
“Sarawak is shifting from passive solicitation to active reconstruction over its position as an equal partner in the federation, and aligning its stance with the leadership of Premier Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg and the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government.
“This is about ensuring the dignity of Sarawakians is no longer a footnote in federal-state relations, and we stand firmly behind the premier in this historic quest to reclaim our birthright,” he said told reporters when met on Sunday.
He said that for decades, the PDA74 had enabled Putrajaya to assert sweeping control over national petroleum resources—control which was now being properly examined by the courts.
He said Sarawak’s pre-Malaysia boundary instruments—the Sarawak (Alteration of Boundaries) Order in Council 1954 and the Sarawak (Definition of Boundaries) Order in Council 1958—had already established the state’s claim over the continental shelf and its seabed resources.
“These rights were vested in Sarawak on Malaysia Day. We must return to this territorial ‘Point Zero’,” he said.
He also cited Article 150(7) of the Federal Constitution, stressing that the extension of PDA74 and the Continental Shelf Act into Sarawak had relied on powers exercised during the 1969 Emergency.
“With the revocation of the Emergency in 2011, any laws extended under that proclamation should have lapsed after six months. This means federal control over Sarawak’s resources has been in a legal limbo for more than a decade,” he added.
Wong concurred with political analyst Dr James Chin, saying that extreme centralisation during the Mahathir administration had reduced Sarawak to a “dependent administrative appendage”.
He said this legacy contributed to deep developmental gaps despite Sarawak’s resource wealth, particularly in infrastructure, education and healthcare.
“Sarawak’s vast geography demands higher development costs. We cannot continue with a structure where our resources are extracted while our basic amenities remain underfunded,” he said.
Wong also criticised Petronas for its recent legal objections filed in January 2026, saying the move risked hindering Sarawak’s ambitions in Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) and the state-led hydrogen economy.
“We cannot allow a 1974 relic to shackle our transition into a high-tech green economy. The challenge by Petronas reveals a predatory mindset aimed at undermining Sarawak’s Oil Mining Ordinance and our environmental laws,” he said.
Wong added that resolving such disputes through judicial avenues was consistent with established federal systems such as those in Canada and Australia.
“Clarifying power boundaries via the courts is an act of constitutional maturity. The real threat to federalism is refusing to confront these legal questions,” he said.
He said the petition reflected the will of Sarawakians, pointing out that voters in Sabah had similarly expressed frustration in their recent state elections, sending a signal to Pakatan Harapan.
“Sarawakians have reached a consensus—our resources must primarily benefit our own people. This legal step safeguards the development space of the next generation.
“The voice of Sarawak has been heard; the gavel of history is about to fall,” he said.
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