Salleh: Resolve oil royalty issue now

KOTA BELUD: Sabah Umno Liaison Committee deputy chief Salleh Said Keruak has cautioned Putrajaya against ignoring calls for an urgent review of the current 5% oil royalty.

He said an immediate review was necessary and timely in view of the mounting calls from leaders within the Barisan Nasional coalition here and in Sarawak.

Salleh, who is also state legislative assembly speaker, believed the majority of the people of Sabah would support such a move.

Salleh was asked by reporters here to comment on calls by three Sabah BN youth wings leaders Friday for Putrajaya to heed Sarawak Chief Minister Adenan Satem’s earlier call for a review of the current oil royalty agreement.

Urging the federal government to seriously consider these leaders’ requests, Salleh said: “Heeding these requests would be good for the people and the state.

“Don’t just ignore (their requests)…(the) majority will agree with them (youth leaders), and if they (federal government) cannot fulfill, they should explain, including the possible options given to Sabah.

“I am optimistic of an amicable solution. He (Prime Minister Najib Razak) is the best person to deal with this royalty issue. We should give him undivided support.”

On Friday youth wing leaders of Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Pertubuhan Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Bersatu (Upko) and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) called for Najib to consider increasing oil royalties for Sabah and Sarawak, from five percent to 20%.

Led by PBS youth chief Jake Nointin, Arthur Sen (Upko) and Arthur
Kurup (PBRS), they were quoted as saying that they would submit their proposal to the government soon.

The proposal, they said, would also include a call for a Parliamentary Select Committee to evaluate the effectiveness of the implementation of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and the 20 and 18 points documents,