The Kelantan PAS government is prepared to take up the challenge by the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohamed Nazri Aziz to bring up the issue on the oil and gas royalty to

court.

Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Aziz Nik Mat said he had long considered taking up the case to court if the demand on the petroleum royalty could not be resolved through negotiations.

"It's not only he (Mohamed Nazri) who wants it, we too want it (to go to court)," he said at a media conference, Kota Bahru today.

kuala terengganu by election pakatan ceramah perdana 060109 nik aziz Nik Aziz, who is also the PAS spiritual leader, said this when asked to comment on Mohamed Nazri's statement that the Kelantan government took the oil royalty claim to court because it was the most appropriate action compared to Nik Aziz's prayers for misfortune to befall Prime Minister Najib Razak and the federal government.

On Nov 4, Najib had announced that a special payment would be given to the Kelantan government in place of the oil and gas royalty.

However, Nik Aziz did not agree on the special payment and instead would continue to pray that the federal government leaders would relent and meet the demand for the oil royalty, failing which, he would pray for misfortune to befall the federal leaders.

Resignation of son-in-law

On the issue concerning his son-in-law, the menteri besar said he left it to Abdul Ariffahmi Abdul Rahman when he would give up the post of chief executive officer (CEO) at the Kelantan Menteri Besar's Incorporated after the PAS central leadership had twice issued a reminder on the resignation.

"As a government officer, he (Abdul Ariffahmi) knew what he was doing, because when a government official resigns, there must certainly be a replacement and it's not as simple as we think," he said.

Nik Aziz was commenting on the suggestion by PAS vice-president Mahfuz Omar that Nik Abdul Aziz speeded up the resignation process on his son-in-law as the CEO of the Kelantan Menteri Besar's Incorporated as decided by the PAS central committee earlier.

- Bernama