KUCHING: Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing has urged Sarawakians to fight for what are theirs.
Masing said that according to Petronas, in 2017, Sarawak oil field produced up to 800,000 barrels per day and at USD60/barrel, or RM192 million/day or about RM70 billion per year, out of which two billion/year was given to Sarawak.
“Where did the rest go to? Cost? Surely not all of the RM70 billion went up as cost! Where did the monies go? You ask yourselves,” he said.
“People and nations have fought over such wealth. Did we? No! Sarawakians are gentle people. Unfortunately, our gentleness was taken for granted. Our assets were stolen in front of our eyes!”
He was not in favour of keeping quiet. He wanted Sarawakians to fight for what belonged to them.
“Fifty-five years of being treated like a colony by our fellow Malaysians in Malaya is enough!” said Masing in his speech at the launch of Gabung Parti Sarawak (GPS) at Stadium Perpaduan in Petra Jaya last night.
“Do we have the required legislation in our arsenal? Yes, we have. We have the Oil and Mining Ordinance (OMO) established in 1958 to protect our oil and gas. We have MA63 to protect or sovereignty. We have DUN to guard our interests,” he continued.
He explained that whatever laws are passed by Parliament in Malaya, if DUN Sarawak doesn’t endorse them, they would be null and void for Sarawak.
A good example of such a law is the Territorial Sea Act passed a few years ago by Parliament to reduce the state territorial waters.
“It is null and void because Sarawak DUN didn’t endorse it,” he said.
Masing pointed out that the Federal Constitution made it very clear that the two regions of Sabah and Sarawak are entitled to financial allocation as stated in the Article 109 (1)(a) Capital Grant; Article 109 (1)(b) State Road Grant; Article 112C (1)Special Grant; and Article 112 (1)(b) Additional Revenues to Sabah and Sarawak.
He, therefore, was surprised when the federal Finance Minister demanded that Sarawak pay all the monies given under the above constitutional obligation as a member of the federation even though the state paid all its loans in accordance with the schedule of payment.
Masing said Sarawak doesn’t owe Putrajaya any money or debt.
“In his effort to make us look stupid, Lim Guan Eng, reminded me of a six-year-old who tried to teach his masters how to read. In his frustration after knowing that Sarawak has so much money, he demanded that Sarawak pay all federal monies at once. It is like a house buyer who is given 25 years to pay his loan and is asked by the bank to pay his whole loan at once, just because he won a lottery ticket, and then the bank accused him of having a debt to the bank.
“If we in Sarawak are not united in protecting Sarawak rights, the above laws (The Territorial Sea Act) would be applicable to Sarawak and the size of the sea and sea bed would be smaller and our oil and gas under our sea bed would be taken by Malaya. Therefore, the saying ‘United we bargain. Divide we beg’ is indeed very relevant to our situation within the federation of Malaysia,” stressed Masing.
Masing, who is also Deputy Chief Minister, said whatever we thought of our forefathers, they were no fools as Sarawak interests were foremost in their minds when formulating MA63 and the Federal Constitution.
On accusations by critics that GPS is an “old wine in a new bottle”, Masing said many are angry over the analogy including him.
“That analogy is correct. GPS is indeed an old wine in a new bottle,” he said, adding that he had been in politics for 35 years; the Chief Minister has 37 years; Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah has 30 years and Datuk Amar Awang Tengah has been at it for 32 years.
“Between the four of us we have 140 years of administrative experience. Yes, indeed we are old wine! New bottle? Yes, we are, as far as GPS is concerned, but the bottle is filled by four different parties all of which are purely Sarawak brewed,” he said.
Masing emphasised that old wine in a new bottle is safer because fermentation no longer takes place.
“The wine is mature, thus it is most unlikely for the bottle to break under pressure from it. Thus GPS is a mature wine inside a better and safer bottle,” he stressed.
On the hornbill as the logo of GPS, Masing said it is most suitable.
“Hornbill is not only one of the most protected species in Sarawak. Among some native communities in this country, it is the most sacred bird. Therefore, you are prohibited from killing the hornbill. For some, it is the most honoured bird.
“Not only Sarawakians cannot kill it; we must also honour it when it makes its presence in our midst during the next state election in 2021,” he said. –
ADEN NAGRACE, NATASHA JEE, HARUN JAU, ALEXANDRA LORNA & DESMOND MARKUS
