Umno gag on Kelantan oil royalty issue

By Clara Chooi - The Malaysian Insider

PETALING JAYA, March 2 — Umno has gagged its members from speaking about the Kelantan oil royalty issue while it compiles the views of its grassroots, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein (picture) said today.

The Umno vice-president said the party did not allow its members to issue statements that could damage its image.

“In this matter, the party’s supreme council has already given its clear stand. If the members do not fully understand the issue, they can use existing channels to seek explanations. Making sensational statements that can destroy the party’s image is, even in the past, something that we do not allow,” he said when commenting on Kelantan’s move to take the issue to court.

Three of the six Barisan Nasional (BN) state assemblymen had reportedly voted in the Kelantan state assembly yesterday to support the court motion but later withdrew their vote.

The trio are state opposition leader Datuk Mohd Alwi Che Ahmad (BN-Kok Lanas), Mat Yusof Abdul Ghani (BN–Nenggiri) and Datuk Abdul Rashid Aziz (BN–Kuala Balah).

Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has clashed with his party on the matter, saying his home state was entitled to the 5 per cent oil royalty under the Petroleum Development Act 1974.

The BN federal government said it will provide RM20 million in goodwill payment through its agencies in the PAS-ruled state.

When asked if the party planned to take disciplinary action against its three lawmakers for going against the stand of the federal government that Kelantan was not entitled to the 5 per cent royalty payment under the Petroleum Development Act, Hishammuddin said: “Let us wait first.”

He acknowledged that some Umno Supreme Council members were unhappy that no action had been taken against Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, but reiterated his point that views of the grassroots should first be compiled.

“We first want to get the views of all our members and grassroots leaders before making any decision. We want to know what the people on the ground feel about it first,” he said.

Council members recently voiced dissent over Razaleigh’s apparent “immunity” in discussing the controversial issue and urged leaders to act on the matter.

Party president and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, however, said that he would leave it to the members to decide what should be done about the maverick politician’s public outbursts.

Razaleigh recently embarked on a collision course with his party when he insisted that Kelantan was due its 5 per cent in oil royalty payments and not the RM20 million goodwill payment being offered.