PETRONAS’ leave application for the Federal Court to determine who has absolute rights over oil in the country has become a means to score political points by two parties competing for Chinese support – DAP and the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP).

Each is eager to blame the other for doing nothing to help fight the suit, other than coming up with rhetoric to score points.

Yesterday, Sarawak Pakatan Harapan and DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen slammed the Thursday meeting between Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg and lawyers from the Advocates Association of Sarawak as a “political stunt”.

The lawyers, however, had walked out of the meeting and announced that they would form a task force to assist the state government in the Petronas suit, and also its fight to reclaim lost and eroded rights as per the Malaysia Agreement 1963.

Chong said the meeting was a sham as the state attorney-general or an official from the state A-G’s Chambers was not present, leaving the lawyers clueless as to how the state government plans to approach the Petronas challenge.

This led the Stampin MP to claim the state government is “not serious” about fighting to protect the state’s resources from the clutches of Petronas and the federal government, and he questioned if Sarawak would file an affidavit to oppose the application.

Today, SUPP, a member of the ruling state Barisan Nasional, fired back at Chong, asking him and the state PH to apply to the Federal Court to intervene in the suit – a suggestion that one lawyer described as “pure, utter nonsense”.

SUPP’s central Youth chairman, Michael Tiang, said in the face of Chong’s claims yesterday, he should be the one to file the affidavit.

“It is only apt now for Sarawak PH to file an intervention to the Petronas suit if state PH lawmakers are serious about rebutting Sarawakians’ speculation that they are making U-turns on their manifesto promises after the 14th general election,” said Tiang.

“I don’t know where he studied his law, but what is Sarawak PH? It doesn’t have a legal entity as such,” said the lawyer, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“Chong Chieng Jen and all the opposition MPs or assemblymen cannot (intervene) because they are not the (state) government.

“The most he can suggest is, Chong apply for a watching brief or as ‘amicus curiae’ (friend of the court).” – June 9, 2018.