Teganu Oil Royalty: Whose Decision?

Since Ahmad Said goes public asking for the Terengganu oil royalty money, the topic has become hotter. Here is PM Abdullah's reply to a question asked by journalists recently.

We all know most of the money doesnt go to the people of Terengganu, but to the cronies of PM Abdullah, ie Patrick Lim aka Patrick Badawi, sons and son inlaw, Idris Jusoh and gangs. You can see the result, Masjid Kristal, Pulau Wan Man, Monsoon Cup etc. What benefit was it for the rakyat?

There he is, telling journalists that "wang ehsan" benefits rakyat of Terengganu.
There he is pooh pooing Ahmad Said and indirectly Sultan Terengganu that the money is for the rakyat.

Ahmad Said himself said, spending 50-60 million ringgit to build road into the jungle is a waste of money, not to mention encouraging plunder of forest timber. Yes I do agree with Ahmad Said.

So PM Abdullah just dismissed off hand Ahmad Said's request for royalty money. Is that executive decision or cabinet decision? Is it legal?

Go ahead Ahmad Said, take Federal Govt and Abdullah Badawi as well as Mahathir Mohamad to court, because I believe withholding the royalty money was illegal in the first place. Sue them for the total since 2000 till now.

Terengganu people deserve it, its theirs, not Abdullah Badawi and family. The whole of Terengganu, PAS, UMNO and all are placing their hopes on you Ahmad Said.

Why dont Teganu Govt Sue Federal Govt for Past Royalty Money

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I am reading with interest this report in Malaysiakini that Terengganu MB Dato Ahmad Said is asking the Federal Govt to return the management of oil royalty money fully to the state government.

Good on you Ahmad Said for having the guts to say it. Rightly, the oil royalty money is the right of Terengganu State Government, to be disbursed to the rakyat of Terengganu as they wish.

I surely agree with the Terengganu Palace that they made the right choice in appointing Dato Ahmad Said as Menteri Besar. He has balls to stand up to the Federal Government and ask what is rightly belong to the Terengganu people.

The Federal Government had no right in the first place to withhold the oil royalty, by right it should be disbursed to the Terengganu State Govt, and not converted to "Dana Khas Kerajaan Persekutuan (DKKP) atau lebih popular disebut "wang ehsan". As such, I believe under international law, Terengganu Government has the grievance to sue Federal Government for all the royalty monies due since 2000, when Federal Government started withholding the money.

Lets examine the case;
Terengganu is part of Malaysia, but before Terengganu joined the Federation, it was a sovereign state. Hence all the resources within the borders of Terengganu belongs to the rakyat of Terengganu and their head of state, the Sultan of Terengganu. IF Terengganu DID NOT joined Malaysia, like Brunei, all resources of Terengganu, oil included, would belong to the state 100%.

Now that Terengganu is part of Malaysia, and Federal Govt and Terengganu Govt made agreement that Terengganu get measly 5% royalty from their oil, Federal Govt must fulfil their promise to give the royalty money.

After all, agreement is agreement, it must be honoured. Rain or shine, whoever is in the government, Dato Seri Haji Hadi, Dato Seri Idris Jusoh or Ahmad Said. Federal Government had no right to withhold the royalty money in the first place. "Wang Ehsan" is not royalty money in any other name.

As such, the Terengganu Government still has the right to sue Federal Government the oil royalty money that has been withhold by the Federal Government since 2000.

What say you law experts out there?

In Vox Populi Malaysiakini

Here it is I cut and paste my writing that was in Malaysiakini Vox Populi on Monday.

'Invite T'ganu MB to cross over, PAS'
Mar 24, 08 11:48am
PAS Terengganu should do the right thing - simply invite Ahmad Said to join PAS or if Ahmad Said doesn’t want to join PAS, support him to form the new Terengganu government.

On MB crisis deepens in Terengganu

Noor Yahaya Hamzah: So Ahmad Said, you have been kicked out of Umno because you defied the PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Kudos to Ahmad Said, you are my hero. You know where your loyalty should lie, to the Sultan, first and your country, as written in the Rukunegara. As long as the ‘titah perintah Tuanku’ is not against Allah's laws and commandments. Your loyalty is absolutely not to the prime minister for the Sultan’s word takes precedent.

Now that Ahmad Said is the Sultan-appointed Menteri Besar, without support from his Umno colleagues, I can see only one solution to this problem, and it depends on PAS Terengganu.

Here I call on PAS Terengganu to do the right thing - simply invite Ahmad Said to join PAS or if Ahmad Said doesn’t want to join PAS, support him to form the new Terengganu government. For the sake of Terengganu.

Teganu oh Teganu II

The only time I have been to Terengganu was back in the early 95. Even then it was only to that small town or kampung at the Pahang border, and I walked from that Impiana Resort on my own. I didnt pay much for that holiday at Impiana, I got the 3 nights there almost free.
How do I got it so cheap? Well, back at the end of 94, the place where I used to work, Makro Shah Alam had annual dinner. I won 3 nights at Impiana Resort in the cabutan bertuah.
So one weekend we took buses from KL to Kuantan, then another bus to Terengganu which dropped us off at Impiana. We always wanted to see Kampung Cherating, so we hired bikes from the hotel, and bike to Cherating, some miles away from Impiana. Cherating was tourist village even back then, with motels and restaurants and discos.

Now back to Teganu II.
Only ysterday I wrote this piece suggesting Ahmad Said join PAS or PAS bury hatchet with him and support him to form Terengganu Govt. We cant let this impasse gone too long, not good for Terengganu.

How 24 hours is a long time in politics. How surprised I am to read the news that now PAS support the palace appointed Menteri Besar.
Good on PAS. It shows that PAS is very good, the welfare of rakyat Terengganu is utmost important to PAS Terengganu than letting PM Abdullah and Idris Jusoh's UMNO squabble for oil royalty.

Also read this letter in Malaysiakini outlining that Sultan Terengganu has the ultimate power in appointing Menteri Besar, and not PM Abdullah Badawi.

Simply said, PM Abdullah Badawi doesnt have the constitutional power to overide the Sultan. This country Malaysia is not a Republic, not like Indonesia or Philippines. Abdullah Badawi IS NOT president of Malaysia.

Even though he said otherwise... in my opinion, this time he has overstepped..

Teganu oh Teganu, Why Dont Ahmad Said Join PAS or...

Pucuk Pimpinan UMNO Terengganu telah menderhaka kepada Tuanku Sultan, itu lah ringkasan yang dapat saya fahami. Maaf kalau fahaman saya itu salah.

The news says that Istana Terengganu appoints Ahmad Said as Menteri Besar, but PM Abdullah Badawi appoints Idris Jusoh. Read the news here in Malayiakini. And HERE. Also HERE in Malaysia-today.

So Ahmad Said has been kicked out of UMNO because he defied PM Abdullah Badawi. Kudos to Ahmad Said, you are my HERO. You know where your loyalty shoulld lie, to the Sultan, first and your country, as written in the Rukunegara. As long as the "titah perintah Tuanku" is not against Allah's laws and commandments. Absolutely not to the Prime Minister, Tuanku Sultan takes precedent.

Now that Ahmad Said is the Sultan appointed Menteri Besar, without support from his UMNO colleagues.

I can see one solution to this problem, and it depends on PAS Terengganu. As we know, BN Terengganu wins by a simple majority, the difference to PAS held seats is only 2.

Ahmad Said could simply join PAS, and then could get enough number to govern. Or PAS Terengganu simply could bury their hatchet and make an understanding to support Ahmad Said and they, ie PAS Terengganu and Ahmad Said, could form the new Terengganu Govt.

Here I call on PAS Terengganu to do the right thing, simply invite Ahmad Said to join PAS or if Ahmad Said doesnt want to join PAS, support him to form the new Terengganu Government.

For the sake of Terengganu. If Ahmad Said is a decent person that is...

As for this report in this blog about Ahmad Said's wrong doing, well is it true? If that is true, why Kemaman folk still voted him in the last PRU12?

Dont tell me that he bought their votes with kain batik and keropok lekor..