International laws have no bearing on Sarawak’s oil and gas claim, Satok rep tells Zaid Ibrahim

KUCHING, Nov 15 — Satok assemblyman Datuk Ibrahim Baki has today downplayed former law minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim’s remark that Sarawak’s oil and gas claim may be undermined by a ruling on Malaysia’s Malaysia’s bid for Pulau Batu Puteh.

Speaking at the Sarawak assembly, the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) state assembly chief whip said domestic laws and the Federal Constitution would apply to this case, rather than international laws.

“While he is entitled to his opinion, our position is very clear,” he said.

“That is Sarawak’s rights over the continental shelf is not a dispute between two sovereign states and therefore, the principles of international laws cannot apply.”

His speech text was made available to Malay Mail.

“In any event, Sarawak never relinquished her rights over the seabed and the subsoils forming the continental shelf. These areas are state land and the state even has declared a marine park over some of the areas offshore Sarawak,” he added.

Zaid had reportedly said that the said the ruling by the International Court of Justice had decided that Singapore has sovereignty over Batu Puteh since it had exercised actual, continuous and peaceful display of state functions at the island — such as erecting the Horsburgh Lighthouse in 1851.

By the same token, Zaid argued that Sarawak had ceded sovereignty over its continental shelf since it had ceded ownership and control of oil and gas resources to Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas).

In response, Ibrahim argued that the Sarawak (Alteration of Boundaries) Order 1954 extended Sarawak’s boundaries to include its continental shelf, where it subsequently issued a mining lease allowing Sarawak Oilfields Limited to exploit petroleum resources.

He said Sarawak then established its rights over the continental shelf through the Oil Mining Ordinance 1958, which, together with the Federal Constitution, grants it authority to regulate petroleum mining within this area.

Ibrahim added that the Petroleum Development Act 1974 does not supersede the above-mentioned Ordinance, allowing Sarawak to maintain its regulatory control over oil and gas resources on its continental shelf, independent of Malaysia’s national claims.

In September, Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the Sarawak government’s subsidiary, Petroleum Sarawak Bhd (Petros), is still in discussions with Petronas regarding the supervision of oil and gas trading in the state.