S'wak govt should respect Petroleum Development Act
The Sarawak government should respect the agreement with Putrajaya as outlined in the Petroleum Development Act 1974 (PDA 1974), instead of creating disputes involving the operations of Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd (PCSB) at the Miri Crude Oil Terminal, according to an analyst.
Azmi Hassan, a geo-strategist from the Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research, said that any disputes raised would only be detrimental to all parties involved, namely the federal government, the Sarawak government, Petronas and Petroleum Sarawak Bhd (Petros)...
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New Straits Times
2 days ago
- New Straits Times
Petronas breaches Sarawak gas sales agreement, court told
KUCHING: Lawyers for Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (Petros) and the Sarawak government argued that national oil company Petronas had failed to comply with state laws as required under the Sarawak Gas Sales Agreement (SGSA) signed on Dec 30, 2019, and still sought to supply gas to Petros without a valid licence. During a hearing on Petros' originating summons at the Kuching High Court today, in which the state-owned company seeks to restrain and nullify Petronas' demand under a RM7.95 million Maybank Islamic bank guarantee, described by Petros as "unconscionable, illegal, and therefore null and void", Datuk Seri J.C. Fong, appearing as amicus curiae (friend of the court) for the Sarawak government, said Petronas was attempting to bypass legal requirements. "Petronas wants to continue supplying gas to Petros without a licence and does not want to recognise Petros as the gas aggregator in Sarawak. Petronas cannot approbate and reprobate," Fong told judicial commissioner Datuk Faridz Gohim Abdullah. He cited Article 24.2 of the SGSA, which states that "nothing in this agreement shall entitle the parties, Petronas and Petros, to exercise the rights, privileges, and powers conferred on them which would contravene any written laws in force in Malaysia". Fong also said that the Distribution of Gas Ordinance 2016 (DGO 2016), passed by the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly, was a valid written law in force in Malaysia. He added that Article 2.3 of the SGSA further stipulated that should any new codes, regulations, or rules be issued that affect the sale and purchase of gas, both parties are required to take necessary steps to comply. In 2023, the Sarawak assembly amended the DGO to include two key provisions: that only a gas aggregator may supply gas, and that the state cabinet has the authority to appoint the aggregator. Subsequently, Petros was officially appointed as the sole gas aggregator in the state. Responding to claims of Petronas' "unconscionable conduct", Fong told the court that unchallenged evidence in an affidavit showed that Petronas was obstructing upstream gas suppliers, licensed under the DGO, from selling to Petros, thus hindering Petros from carrying out its statutory functions. "Petronas's failure to comply with the DGO, its continued supply of gas without a proper licence, and its prevention of other licensed suppliers from dealing with Petros must constitute unconscionable conduct," he said. On Petronas' argument that it was acting within its rights under the Petroleum Development Act 1974 (PDA74), Fong said the SGSA had no connection to the PDA or to Petronas' business under it, as those rights had been transferred to Petros. "There is nothing in the SGSA to suggest that it was entered into pursuant to the PDA. It is purely a commercial agreement based solely on commercial considerations," he said. Responding to Petronas' claim that Sarawak had relinquished its rights over petroleum and gas in return for annual payments, Fong said the "yearly payments" (oil royalty) were for "the purported vesting of petroleum in Petronas". He said that this had no bearing on Sarawak's constitutional right to regulate the distribution of gas. "There is nothing in the PDA or any agreements between Petronas and the Sarawak government, based on evidence before the court, to indicate that the annual payments were in exchange for Sarawak relinquishing its legislative and executive powers over gas distribution," he added.
Daily Express
3 days ago
- Daily Express
Fielding non-Muslims could help PAS woo non-Malays, says analyst
Published on: Tuesday, June 10, 2025 Published on: Tue, Jun 10, 2025 By: Faiz Zainudin Text Size: An analyst said dissatisfaction among non-Malays towards Pakatan Harapan could give PAS an opening, but only if the Islamic party addresses deeper, structural issues. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA: Analysts have proposed two key strategies for PAS to win over non-Malay voters, namely fielding non-Muslim candidates in safe seats and highlighting the party's achievements in its administration of Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, and Perlis – also known as the SG4 states. Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said PAS must move away from political rhetoric if it hoped to shift perceptions among non-Malay voters. Advertisement 'So far, PAS has yet to demonstrate that it is a better option than DAP or PKR, as there's little to be proud of in its administration of the SG4 states. 'PAS must tone down its extreme rhetoric and focus on showcasing its ability to govern by making the SG4 a better model than the states governed by Pakatan Harapan (PH) or Barisan Nasional. That's what it needs to do now,' he told FMT. PAS vice-president Amar Nik Abdullah previously said that the party was targeting non-Malay voters who were disillusioned with the government ahead of the 16th general election, acknowledging however PAS's struggle to win over that segment. He said PAS faced the challenge of finding more convincing ways to gain the trust of non-Malay voters while preserving its clean image and integrity to maintain its support among the youth. Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya said dissatisfaction among non-Malays towards PH could give PAS an opening, but only if the Islamic party could address deeper, structural issues. 'These include concerns about religious freedom and racial harmony, and rejecting theocratic narratives. Without such changes, discontent with PH will only be temporary, as non-Malay voters still find it difficult to accept Perikatan Nasional (PN). 'PAS also needs to overcome the longstanding distrust, including the fact that it once branded non-Muslims as infidels (kafir) – something that still lingers in the memory of many non-Malays.' PAS must be sincere in fielding non-Muslim candidates Awang Azman added that dissatisfaction with PH did not automatically mean that the non-Malays were ready to support PAS. 'PAS must be bold and sincere in placing non-Muslim candidates in winnable seats – just as Umno does with MIC and MCA – as a genuine sign of cooperation with non-Muslims. This shouldn't just be rhetoric or a symbolic gesture,' he said. Rusdi Omar of Universiti Utara Malaysia said that to attract non-Malay support, PAS must move away from an overemphasis on religious, racial, and royal sentiments, and adopt a more moderate approach. Meanwhile, Ariff Aizuddin Azlan of Universiti Teknologi Mara said PAS and PN would need to work harder than PKR, DAP, and Amanah did when they were in the opposition by championing mature politics free from racial elements. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Free Malaysia Today
4 days ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Fielding non-Muslims could help PAS woo non-Malays, says analyst
An analyst said dissatisfaction among non-Malays towards Pakatan Harapan could give PAS an opening, but only if the Islamic party addresses deeper, structural issues. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : Analysts have proposed two key strategies for PAS to win over non-Malay voters, namely fielding non-Muslim candidates in safe seats and highlighting the party's achievements in its administration of Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, and Perlis – also known as the SG4 states. Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said PAS must move away from political rhetoric if it hoped to shift perceptions among non-Malay voters. 'So far, PAS has yet to demonstrate that it is a better option than DAP or PKR, as there's little to be proud of in its administration of the SG4 states. 'PAS must tone down its extreme rhetoric and focus on showcasing its ability to govern by making the SG4 a better model than the states governed by Pakatan Harapan (PH) or Barisan Nasional. That's what it needs to do now,' he told FMT. PAS vice-president Amar Nik Abdullah previously said that the party was targeting non-Malay voters who were disillusioned with the government ahead of the 16th general election, acknowledging however PAS's struggle to win over that segment. He said PAS faced the challenge of finding more convincing ways to gain the trust of non-Malay voters while preserving its clean image and integrity to maintain its support among the youth. Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya said dissatisfaction among non-Malays towards PH could give PAS an opening, but only if the Islamic party could address deeper, structural issues. 'These include concerns about religious freedom and racial harmony, and rejecting theocratic narratives. Without such changes, discontent with PH will only be temporary, as non-Malay voters still find it difficult to accept Perikatan Nasional (PN). 'PAS also needs to overcome the longstanding distrust, including the fact that it once branded non-Muslims as infidels (kafir) – something that still lingers in the memory of many non-Malays.' PAS must be sincere in fielding non-Muslim candidates Awang Azman added that dissatisfaction with PH did not automatically mean that the non-Malays were ready to support PAS. 'PAS must be bold and sincere in placing non-Muslim candidates in winnable seats – just as Umno does with MIC and MCA – as a genuine sign of cooperation with non-Muslims. This shouldn't just be rhetoric or a symbolic gesture,' he said. Rusdi Omar of Universiti Utara Malaysia said that to attract non-Malay support, PAS must move away from an overemphasis on religious, racial, and royal sentiments, and adopt a more moderate approach. Meanwhile, Ariff Aizuddin Azlan of Universiti Teknologi Mara said PAS and PN would need to work harder than PKR, DAP, and Amanah did when they were in the opposition by championing mature politics free from racial elements.
