Terengganu PAS urges Menteri Besar Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman to be more aggressive in pushing for the state's claim for oil royalty.

 

"As MB, he should be aggressive to prove that he is truly concerned in fighting for the people in the state.

 

"The state PAS is willing to support him in this, for the sake of the rights of people in Terengganu," PAS commissioner Satiful Bahri Mamat said in a statement.

 

He said despite the federal government's claim that Terengganu is not entitled to claim for oil royalty, evidence and statements proved otherwise.

Satiful Bahri pointed out that Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah ( left ), Gua Musang MP and Petronas founder who also formulated the agreement with the states, said regardless of the source of the petroleum – whether on land or in the waters, and not even limited to three nautical miles – as long as oil is found, the state should receive the five percent royalty.

 

BN political decision

The PAS leader also cited former lord president Salleh Abbas who said the decision on oil royalty is final and cannot be withdrawn.

 

"The federal government has no right to deny the right of the Terengganu government unless it does not want to receive it," Satiful quoted Salleh, adding that the MB should fight for what's owed to the people of Terengganu.

 

"This is a violation of Terengganu's rights and sovereignty and the decision made is a BN political decision and not based on the law and the constitution," he added.

 

Satiful also said Terengganu has been receiving oil royalty for 22 years but the practice was stopped in 2000, after which the federal government compensated with wang ehsan (compassionate money) which benefited only a select few in the state.

 

He said when the federal government announced that oil found in Bertam in October 2012, was that from Pahang and not Terengganu, then Terengganu menteri besar Ahmad Said maintained that the oil found there is owned by the state.

 

"The question is, if Terengganu is not qualified, were the billions of ringgit received by the state for (oil) royalty in the past wrongly paid?" he asked.

 

Satiful Bahri claimed that even the current prime minister, in a special ceremony during his tenure as deputy, gave a cheque for RM800 million as royalty payment to Terengganu.

 

"Does that count as breach of trust, or what kind of gift was it?" he asked.

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