Sharifah Hasidah: Sarawak to file own Federal Court petition on Petros legal framework

KUCHING (March 17): The Sarawak government is prepared to file its own petition in the Federal Court to ensure all legal issues surrounding the regulatory framework of Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (Petros) are thoroughly examined, said Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Department (Law, MA63 and State-Federal Relations), Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali.

According to a report by the Sarawak Public Communications Unit (Ukas), she said the move was necessary to safeguard Sarawak’s rights and ensure the interests of its people remain protected as the dispute enters the Federal Court stage.

“We are ready to submit our petition so that all matters can be considered comprehensively and fairly by the Federal Court.

“We hope Petronas’ petition will be heard together with Sarawak’s petition so that every issue is deliberated in a balanced manner,” she told reporters after attending a contribution programme for orphans and asnaf at the Samariang Service Centre on Tuesday.

The Federal Court allowed national petroleum company Petronas’ application for leave to commence proceedings to challenge the validity of several Sarawak ordinances governing oil and gas matters in the state.

Sharifah Hasidah described the ruling as appropriate, noting that it involved legal issues requiring further scrutiny, particularly those concerning Sarawak laws.

She stressed that the state government would continue to uphold Sarawak’s rights under the law, including provisions in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

Petronas is challenging the legislative competency of the Sarawak State Legislature to enact certain laws and to declare several laws made by the Sarawak State Legislature invalid.

Some of the provisions include Sections 7, 7A and 8 of the Sarawak Distribution of Gas Ordinance 2016, Section 3 of the Sarawak Interpretation Ordinance 2005, Section 2 of the Sarawak Oil Mining Ordinance 1958, Section 2 of the Sarawak National Parks and Nature Reserves Ordinance 1998 and Section 2 of the Sarawak Land Code 1958.