Pertimbangan komersial tak boleh atas hak Sarawak, kata senator

Senator Ahmad Ibrahim has stated that commercial considerations cannot supersede the constitutional rights of Sarawak, rejecting former Law Minister Zaid Ibrahim's claims. The senator, from the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), emphasized that the amount of money involved cannot determine who holds legal authority over the oil and gas sector in Sarawak.

"If a constitutional right or law exists, it will not disappear simply because its recognition might undermine the results of other entities," he said, quoting Dayak Daily in reference to Zaid's assertion that Petronas would lose its main business operations if the Sarawak petroleum company, Petros, took over the role of aggregating the state's gas.

Earlier, Zaid had contested Prime Minister of Sarawak, Abang Johari Openg, who claimed that Petros would not neglect or surpass Petronas. However, Ahmad dismissed the RM10 billion annual figure for gas business, explaining that the amount represents a broader profit projection than the stated loss that would be borne by Petronas.

He also rejected the claim that the arrangement forcing Petronas to relinquish its status as a national petroleum company. He said, "This declaration signed by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Abang Johari on May 21 this year has established a framework where both federal and state laws can coexist harmoniously. It should not be a contest between Petronas and Petros, or even Malaysia versus Sarawak. A mature federation should strive to serve both."