‘Why Sarawak has to pay RM1.8 bln for Bintulu Port?’ — PBK calls it political extortion

Voon (seated centre) with PBK members and supporters during the press conference on Feb 5, 2026.

By Shikin Louis

KUCHING, Feb 5: Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) president Voon Lee Shan today described the federal government’s reported RM1.8 billion demand for Sarawak to regain control of Bintulu Port as “political extortion”, saying the State is being forced to pay a massive sum to take back what he said rightfully belongs to Sarawak.

He said the demand was unjustified, given that there is no public record showing Sarawak was ever compensated when Bintulu Port was made a federal port, and that Sarawak is now being asked to pay a lump sum to regain control of its own strategic economic asset.

“Now Sarawak is being told to pay RM1.8 billion in one lump sum just to take back control of Bintulu Port Authority—our own land, our own port, our own economic lifeline.

“This demand is not governance. It is political extortion,” he said during a press conference today.

Voon also criticised the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government for what he described as quiet compliance with the payment, saying it reflected weak negotiation and a failure to defend Sarawak’s rights.

“For decades, Bintulu’s land, resources and strategic location had been used to generate enormous federal revenue, without fair compensation to Sarawak.

“Sarawakians were made to believe that the return of Bintulu Port would come with restitution, not a ransom note. Instead, Putrajaya now says: ‘Pay RM1.8 billion or else,’” he added.

Voon then questioned the legal and constitutional basis of Bintulu Port’s federal status, arguing that the port was taken over by the federal government without proper consultation with the Sarawak government or the Sarawak Legislature as required under Article 76(1)(c) of the Federal Constitution.

He said Parliament passed legislation in 1978 and later established the Bintulu Port Authority (BPA) under the Ministry of Transport through the Bintulu Port Authority Act 1981, making the port a federal facility.

Voon also cited the Port Authorities Ordinance 1961, which he said provides that all ports in Sarawak should fall under the jurisdiction of the Sarawak government unless specifically declared federal by an Act of Parliament.

He further linked the issue to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), noting that while legal experts have debated its validity, it nevertheless formed the constitutional basis for the formation of Malaysia and reserved certain powers for Sabah and Sarawak, including authority over ports and harbours unless declared federal.

“If indeed MA63 was invalid, then the federal government could not take over Bintulu Port from the government of Sarawak,” he said.

When asked what he believed would be a fair payment, Voon replied: “Sarawak should not pay a single cent as the federal government has already profited extensively from Sarawak and Sabah.”

PBK also called for greater transparency, demanding a full public explanation from the federal government to justify the RM1.8 billion figure, and for the Sarawak government to disclose why it agreed to the payment without public consultation.

The party further called for an independent assessment of how much revenue the federal government has earned from Bintulu Port over the decades.

“The federal government has made lots of money from Bintulu Port, which could be in trillions of ringgit since the port was taken over,” he claimed. — DayakDaily