KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 30 (Bernama) -- Former finance minister Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah said his decision on whether to chair the caucus on oil royalty for Kelantan would depend on balanced representation by all parties.
Tengku Razaleigh who was involved in Petronas' inception, said he was not compelled to make the decision but hoped the caucus would be represented by all members of parliament from the petroleum-producing states.
"I want to see that the representation is more encompassing, if possible, before I make the decision. I want to see that it does not involve politics.
"Then we have a caucus. But there is no urgency," he said at the parliament lobby Monday when asked by reporters on his decision on the offer to head the caucus.
Tengku Razaleigh had been reported to be considering the invitation from opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to chair the caucus.
However, a few days later, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin asked him to think carefully although the issue involves Kelantan before deciding on the move mooted by the opposition pact, especially Anwar himself.
Muhyiddin said that based on party principles, the Barisan Nasional should not be involved in it.
On this, Tengku Razaleigh who is also Gua Musang MP said the question should not arise because there were instances before where the ruling government and opposition together formed committees to deal with matters in the interest of the people.
"So, the issue of whether the government can or cannot sit on a committee set up by the opposition should not arise. What is important is that the people's interest should come first."
However, he said the decision should not be made in haste because if the government accepted the demand made by the caucus, it would have to pay the arrears in oil royalty.
Asked about his stand on the payment to Kelantan which was announced as "wang ihsan" (compassionate fund) instead of oil royalty, Tengku Razaleigh said when the agreement was made, there was no mention of "wang ihsan", instead it was called cash payment.
"The agreement and the ruling was made by me. "Wang ihsan" never crossed my mind. "Wang ihsan" is for beggars.
"This is the people's right. We did not call it royalty. We called it cash payment. That is why we need not raise the oil royalty issue as it had nothing to do with oil production and the related payment to the state government or any other party. It was an agreement to strengthen the position of states in the federation," he explained.
He said that according to the agreement under the Petroleum Development Act, the term oil royalty did not arise but was only being used now, and the accurate term was cash payment, not "wang ihsan".
"There is only one agreement under the Petroleum Development Act that I have seen," he added.
To clear the confusion, Tengku Razaleigh said he was considering participating in a public forum on the issue soon which was being arranged by certain quarters.
"The forum is to explain the issue in the interest of the public and has nothing to do with politics," he said.
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