KOTA BARU, June 17 — The Kelantan government is confident the federal government will pay the petroleum royalty to the state despite several postponements, said Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob.
He said the Kelantan government would adopt the approach of waiting for the latest decision from the federal government after all procedures linked to the withdrawal of a oil royalty lawsuit against Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) was completed.
‘’Indeed, we were not given a specific date on the giving of royalty to Kelantan thus far, but I am confident the federal government will fulfil it,’’ he told the 14th State Assembly sitting here today.
He said this when answering a supplementary question from Rozi Muhamad (PAS-Tendong) who wanted to know whether the state government received a new assurance from the federal government on the giving of the petroleum royalty.
Ahmad also harboured confidence that the government under Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad would not deviate over the matter.
Minister of Economic Affairs Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, prior to this, was reported as saying that the federal government would pay the royalty in April as soon as the process of withdrawal of the suits against the federal government and Petronas were concluded.
But the federal government was still putting off the payment in the light of a remention of the case over the withdrawal of the suit (against Petronas) which was expected in September.
The sitting resumes tomorrow. — Bernama
