The people of Terengganu will still benefit in terms of equal quantum from the oil and gas royalty from the Pakatan Harapan federal government, but it will not be directly channelled to the current state government administration of PAS.

Terengganu PKR chairperson Azan Ismail said the Terengganu state government had no need to polemise the oil royalty issue to mislead the people as Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad would think of a suitable method in order for its benefits to be directly received by the people of the state.

Azan, who is also Terengganu Harapan deputy chairperson, said the current state government was not entitled to claim royalty as there was a clear obstacle from the legal point of view when the Terengganu government (under the BN administration) voluntarily withdrew its suit against the federal government at one time.

"This has made the right to claim royalty through the legal channels to be closed ... there is no freedom and the right to refile the claim through court.

"Due to the different administrations between the federal and state governments at present, the issue of royalty payment rights is now only focused on the process of political negotiations between the Terengganu PAS government and the federal government

"The issue of receipt of oil royalty rights should not be the main debate of the Terengganu state government at present.

The focus on an accurate and effective administration and a review on the effectiveness of financial spending as well as the return of investment impact on the hundreds of previous BN projects should be their priority and need to be done immediately, " he said in a press conference here today.

Yesterday, Kuala Terengganu MP, Ahmad Amzad Hashim expressed his hope that the federal government would not repeat the BN's failure to respect the Petroleum Development Agreement 1975 and make royalty payments to Terengganu.

The statement was rapped by Terengganu Harapan chairperson Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah who wanted the state government to adopt a more civil approach if it wanted to establish a cooperation with the federal government in relation to oil royalty.

- Bernama