KUALA LUMPUR: Claims that the 1976 petroleum agreement was signed without the Sabah Cabinet's approval should be brought to the authorities with evidence, says Law and Institutional Reform Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.
"If there are any allegations or information that raise issues over the process leading to the sealing of the agreement, the matter should be channelled to the relevant authorities through official channels for appropriate scrutiny and investigation," she said.
Azalina was speaking in a written Parliamentary reply dated Oct 5 to Kota Belud MP Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis.
Isnaraissah had asked for the status of investigations into former Sabah chief minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan's claim that the agreement was never discussed or approved by the state Cabinet.
Azalina said anyone holding documents or other evidence should submit them to the authorities and cooperate fully, so that any probe would be based on records that can be verified.
"The Federal Government always respects Sabah's position and interests within the framework of the Federal Constitution and the laws in force," she said.
Pairin made the claim in June, prompting Upko president Datuk Ewon Benedick to call for the agreement to be reviewed if it had not been discussed or approved by the Sabah government.
Former chief minister Tan Sri Harris Salleh responded that Pairin was only technically correct, as the payment arrangement was a federal matter that the state Cabinet did not decide on.
