Oil blocks deal not clearly explained: Karim

Source : Daily Express 15/05/2010

Kota Kinabalu: The Government needs to come up with a detailed explanation, particularly with a map, to show the actual location of the controversial oil blocks M and L in the South China Sea, to clear any doubt among Sabahans on the matter.

Veteran Umno politician, Datuk Karim Ghani, said this is vital if the Barisan Nasional (BN) State Government does not want to suffer the fate of the former Berjaya State Government which collapsed after Labuan was surrendered to the Federal Government.

"So that the people of Sabah know if the said oil blocks are located in Sabah or SarawakÉif in Sarawak we got nothing to say about it, but in Sabah why it was surrendered without us (the State) benefiting from it," he said.

He said what the people in Sabah know now only that firstly the ex-PM Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi signed the Letter of Exchange between Malaysia and Brunei when he went to Brunei before he stepped down.

And then his predecessor Tun Mahathir Mohamad disclosed the matter in his blog, followed by the responses by SAPP President Datuk Yong Teck Lee and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Vice President Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan.

"I find there is a truth in what Yong and Dr Jeffrey were saying that the matter should have been brought to the State Legislative AssemblyÉbut still we also need to know in detail whether they (blocks M and L) belong to Sabah or Sarawak," said Karim, an ex-Assemblyman for Bongawan, former Senator as well as a Sabah Umno pioneer.

He said if it is within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) then "it is supposed to be called a circle, instead of block, and if it is within the circle meaning it is overlapping.

"If it is overlapping then there should be a joint venture (with Sabah also)Éwhy say after 40 years we surrender it to Brunei, whilst it should be forever," he said, adding under the Constitutions the Sabah people should be consulted first.

"If this matter failed to be explained fully, Sabah people will get angry and salah-salah nanti kerajaan kena buang (the present government may be thrown out)," he said.

Karim said history has proven that the people of Sabah have the power to do so, no matter strong the ruling State Government is, like the case of Berjaya.

Chief Minister, Datuk Musa Aman, had on May 5 said Sabah has not ceded any of its territory in the Federal Government's agreement with Brunei over the 2009 demarcation of maritime boundaries.

He said the State Attorney-General Datuk Roderick Fernandez informed him that no Sabah territory was ceded under the agreement inked towards the end of Abdullah's term in office.

Yong alleged ceding of the two oil blocks was unconstitutional as it did not get the consent of the State Legislative Assembly and the Conference of Rulers.

Mahathir had claimed that the Abdullah administration had surrendered the two blocks to Brunei in exchange for Brunei dropping its claims on Limbang in Sarawak. But Brunei had denied they agreed to give up Limbang and Wisma Putra and Abdullah did not rebut Brunei's statement.

Abdullah, in denying Mahathir's claim, explained that the agreement had allowed Malaysia to be part of an exploration of petroleum resources from the two areas.