Ewon, Phoong accept Tan Sri Harris' challenge to submit motion in cancelling Petronas Agreement

12 July 2022

By Wartawan Nabalu News

KOTA KINABALU: Pakatan Harapan (PH) Sabah State Assemblymen, Kadamaian ADUN Datuk Ewon Benedick and Luyang ADUN Phoong Jin Zhe are taking up former Chief Minister, Tan Sri Harris Salleh's challenge to propose a motion at the State Assembly to revoke Petronas Agreement.

“We accept the challenge, and we will move the motion to revoke the Petronas Agreement at the State Legislative Assembly sitting which will be held from 18th to 21st July this month.

“We are of the view that all laws passed in Parliament related to the rights and interests of Sabah as in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 must first be passed in the Sabah State Legislative Assembly (DUN) before being enforced.

“If it is not approved in the Sabah Assembly, then the act should not be enforced in Sabah.

“We reiterated our strong opinion that the Petronas Agreement signed by Tan Sri Harris and Tan Sri Pairin Kitingan was a big mistake,” they said in a statement today.

Earlier, Ewon and Phoong have taken note of the statement by the former Chief Minister, Tan Sri Harris Salleh who stated that the Petronas Agreement was signed to comply with the Petroleum Development Act which was passed in Parliament in 1974.

“He also said that Sabah Elected Representatives at that time also supported the decision.

“Tan Sri Harris also challenged both of us to move a motion in the State Legislative Assembly sitting to revoke the Petronas Agreement,” they added.

Meanwhile, Ewon and Phoong stated that the elected representatives who agreed with the decision were also held accountable for the mistake.

“Sabah needs a strong leadership, who are not easily get bullied with the demands by the Federal Government especially when it only benefits Putrajaya.

“We both are committed to continuing to fight for our rights as enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963. This includes optimising the Sabah State Legislative Assembly platform and also through the legal process as we have done before when filing our Originating Summons (OS) at the High Court to pursue the implementation of 40% federal revenue in Sabah.

“Shall we not success through State Assembly Sitting to revoke the Petronas Agreement, we will consider submitting application for Judicial Review to challenge if Petronas Development Act 1974 and Petronas Agreement is valid especially when it was passed during Emergency which has now been revoked,” they stressed.