KUCHING, March 22 — The media from Peninsular Malaysia are urged to stop circulating misleading narratives about Sarawak’s oil and gas rights.
In making this call, Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Stakan chairman Datuk Sim Kiang Chiok said they supported the recent statement by Sarawakian senators regarding the inaccurate and deceptive claims made by peninsula-based media.
“These claims were further amplified by a former high-ranking government official, who introduced a new, untrue history to the Malaysian public,” he said in a statement yesterday.
According to Sim, history books have been written in a way that wrongly suggests Sarawak is owned by Peninsular Malaysia.
He said this had led to the spread of incorrect narratives in Peninsular Malaysia, which, if left unchecked, could cause serious tensions between the people of both regions.
“Our Premier (Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg), along with past leaders like ‘Tok Nan’ (former chief minister the late Pehin Sri Adenan Satem), has emphasised the importance of teaching history accurately in schools to prevent future generations from being misled.
“These concerns are now validated, as more and more people in Peninsular Malaysia wrongly claim that Sarawak is demanding too much and acting like masters rather than partners who are simply asking for what is rightfully theirs,” he said.
Sim observed that these distorted narratives had spread from mainstream media to social media, with dangerous TikTok and Instagram videos circulating in Peninsular Malaysia.
These sensationalised videos were spreading false information, which only deepened mistrust and animosity between the people of Sarawak, Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia, he said.
As such, he highlighted the need for Sarawakians to create their own videos to set the record straight and support Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) in dispelling those fabricated histories propagated by the peninsula-based media.
“The simple fact that Petros issues licences to Petronas, Murphy Oil, Shell and other oil and gas companies operating in Sarawak proves beyond doubt that Sarawak owns its resources.
“We are committed to ensuring that the correct facts are shared with our members and followers. We will continue to fight against the false and misleading narratives spread by both the peninsula-based media and social media about Sarawak’s rights under MA63 (Malaysia Agreement 1963).
“We seek nothing more and nothing less than what is rightfully ours. We would like to thank the GPS senators for their leadership on this issue, and we pledge our full support to their efforts,” added Sim. — The Borneo Post
