In just three hours, Terengganu People's Solidarity Council (Mampat) successfully collected about 400 signatures from locals in Terengganu supporting the call for oil royalties to be return back to the state.

Mampat assistant secretary Wan Azmi Wan Ismail said the signature campaign was launched at 9.30 this morning at Dataran Shahbandar, Kuala Terengganu.

"If details about this programme are disseminated widely, we believe we can collect even more signatures," he told Malaysiakini when contacted.

Wan Azmi exuded confidence that Mampat’s target in collecting 100,000 signatures would be successful after the convention on efforts to return oil royalties back to Terengganu is held in a hotel in Kuala Ibai this June 14.

Former lord president Salleh Abas and Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah are both scheduled to speak at the function.

"We hope this convention will create a large wave that will raise the awareness among locals concerning this issue" he said.

"(After the convention), we will redouble our efforts to attract as many Terengganu locals to give us the signature and support the campaign," he added.

Wan Azmi noted that the campaign has generated positive responses and they aim to collect up to 1,500 signatures by this evening.

5,000 leaflets

He also noted that Mampat has also prepared 5,000 leaflets, ribbons and stickers each for public distribution.

About 20 people from Mampat were involved in successfully launching this campaign in the east coast state capital today.

On the response from politicians towards the campaign, Wan Azmi said: "We have orally informed the state assembly representatives.

However we are not targetting them today. For the state reps, we will send a formal letter inviting them for the convention later.

ahmad said and terengganu Mampat is just one of the main groups that have been campaigning in support of the royalty and Terengganu Menteri Besar Ahmad Said when the latter was faced with the tussle for the state’s top political post.

After the March 8 election, a stand off between Yang di-Pertuan Agong Mizan Zainal and Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi over the new menteri besar took place.

The king chose Ahmad Said while the premier wanted Idris Jusoh who was the menteri besar before Parliament was dissolved.

After several protests and constitutional debates, Ahmad was made the mentri besar. A month after his appointment, the Kijal state rep urged the federal government to return oil royalties amounting to five per cent or RM1 billion back to the state government.

The royalties have been managed by the federal government beginning 2000 under the name Federal Government Special Fund for Terengganu State (DKKP) or popularly known as ‘goodwill money’.

Two days ago, Mampat chaiperson Mohd Fauzi Abu Samah lodged a police report over the disappearance of RM3 billion Terengganu oil royalties.