Oil royalty: PAS proposes setting up of independent panel to tackle issue

PASIR MAS: An independent committee involving the Kelantan and Federal governments should be set up to discuss three key issues related to oil royalty, said PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man.

He said the three important issues were the distance, amount of production and list of agreements made between the two parties.

The Kubang Kerian Member of Parliament added that once the committee had been set up, discussions should be held by also involving the Finance Ministry and Prime Minister.

"I propose that an independent committee, that is agreed by the state and Federal governments, be set up for us to confirm, firstly, the distance of three nautical miles because each has its own facts.

"Secondly, we also need to determine the total amount of production and, thirdly, the question of the three nautical miles when the agreement was made previously is not in the list of agreements," he told a media conference at Kampung Pohon Celagi here today.

Earlier, Tuan Ibrahim, who is also the Minister of Environment and Water, made a working visit to check on a project to address the riverbank collapse here.

Asked if the oil royalty issue, which had been going on for so long, could be resolved, he was confident that the best way to address the matter could be found.

On top of that, he said, the Kelantan government now was no longer an opposition to the Federal government.

"I think that we can find a way to resolve it because now that we are together with the Federal government, it will be easier to resolve and overcome it, Insya-Allah.

"Can be resolved... all problems in the world can be resolved," he said.

-- BERNAMA