Kota Kinabalu: Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) President Voon Lee Shan claimed Sabah and Sarawak are losing tens of billions of ringgit each year in oil and gas wealth to the Federal Government, warning that the two Borneo states risk being “drained dry” if they remain in the Malaysian federation.
He alleged Sabah could have lost around RM90 billion annually and Sarawak RM110 billion since the Petroleum Development Act 1974 (PDA74) placed control of petroleum resources under Petronas.
These estimates, Voon said, were based on discussions with the late Sabah rights activist Zainnal Ajamain and production data disclosed in 2017, when Petronas reportedly extracted about 850,000 barrels of Sarawak crude oil from 60 wells.
“The real figures are unknown because all information is classified under the Official Secrets Act and only the Prime Minister has access.
“Our State Governments cannot even see the records. The longer we wait, the more we lose,” he said in a statement, Monday.
Voon argued that annual Federal development allocations, usually under RM6 billion for each State, pale in comparison to the wealth taken from Sabah and Sarawak, leaving both lagging behind in infrastructure and economic growth.
He likened the current arrangement to colonialism, saying political history shows that colonial powers have the legal and political right to exploit the natural resources and manpower of the territories they control.
“It is difficult to say Sabah and Sarawak are not colonies of Malaya,” he said.
Citing Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s 2018 remarks that Sabah and Sarawak had sought autonomy rather than independence, Voon emphasised that Dr Mahathir had also acknowledged an “intrinsic right” for states to exit the federation, a right exercised by Singapore in 1965.
“Sabah and Sarawak should not delay freeing themselves from imperialism and colonialism,” he said.
Voon said he had travelled to Sabah several times to promote the idea of independence and urged local nationalists to register their own political party, but the plan was abandoned due to the difficulty of securing approval.
PBK itself, he said, took seven years before being registered in 2013. He had also tried to persuade several politicians to turn their parties into nationalist platforms, but they were reluctant to campaign for independence.
“This is why PBK, which originated in Sarawak, has now entered the Sabah political scene ahead of the 17th State Election to provide a political vehicle for Sabahans who want to push for full independence.
“There will be no merger of Sabah and Sarawak if both become independent, but we have to help each other,” Voon said.
He said PBK is looking for candidates “willing to sacrifice” for the cause.
