PAS won't raise petroleum royalty issue in campaign

Kelantan PAS does not want any quarters to use the petroleum issue in the Pengkalan Kubor by-election campaign as it was still pending in court.

PAS election director Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan said the party would lodge a police report if anybody, including Barisan Nasional (BN) raised the case of the demand for royalty.

"I want to remind that the issue of royalty is still in court. We may lodge a police report, if any quarter, especially the federal government, tries to raise the matter," he told reporters at the PAS Media Centre yesterday.

He said the issue, which was still in court, could not be discussed as it would be tantamount to contempt of court.

"The state government has no choice but to divulge necessary data to ward off accusations, if the federal government need to raise the issue," he said.

He said, PAS had also set up a committee to impart information on the petroleum royalty demand issue.

On Saturday, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the royalty demand issue was regarded as a defamation of the opposition against the federal government.

He said BN would answer all slander on the purportedly RM12 billion owed to the Kelantan State Government by Petronas.

During the by-election, BN candidate Mat Razi Mat Ail, 48, would face off against PAS candidate Wan Rosdi Wan Ibrahim, 56 and independent candidate Izat Bukhary Ismail Bukhary, 47.

The by-election is being held following the death of incumbent from BN Datuk Noor Zahidi Omar on Aug 20.

At the 13th general election, Noor Zahidi beat Parti Keadilan Rakyat candidate Shaharun Ibrahim and Izat Bukhary Ismail Bukhary, who was also an independent candidate, with a majority of 1,736 votes.

Polling day has been fixed for Sept 25.