KUCHING: Sarawak People’s Aspiration Party (Aspirasi) wants the state government to repudiate the Petroleum Development Act (PDA) and Territorial Sea Act (TSA).
Its president Lina Soo said the GPS government can do this by passing the necessary legislation in State Legislative Assembly (DUN) in order to reclaim Sarawak’s ownership and economic rights over the state’s oil and gas reserves.
“The Sarawak government has not responded to my constant call to declare economic rights over our oil and gas and I hope come the May assembly sitting, two motions will be tabled to reject both PDA and TSA,” she said in a statement yesterday.
She pointed out that both PDA and TSA have impinged upon Sarawak’s territorial integrity over the state’s petroleum resources and territorial waters, and by not seeking a constitutional redress, the state’s sovereignty will be compromised.
“Oil corporation cannot subvert the authority and territorial integrity of Sarawak, and no company can be bigger than the nation of Sarawak,” she said.
Soo congratulated the Sarawak government on its victory in the judicial review application where the High Court ruled that Sarawak has the right to impose State Sales Tax (SST) on petroleum products.
She hoped that Petronas would promptly pay up the five per cent sales tax owed to the Sarawak government and not waste further the court’s time and taxpayer’s money in frivolous court proceedings.
She urged the Sarawak government to keep the people updated on the matter.
