KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has filed a private members’ bill to amend Section 10 of Act 144 of the Petroleum Development Act 1974 (PDA 1974) to end the ambiguity surrounding the word “offshore”.

Anwar is seeking to insert a definition of “offshore” as reading: “For the purpose of this Act, the expression ‘offshore’ refers to a portion of area in the open sea that falls within the limit of the exclusive economic zone of the federation and measured in accordance to the relevant laws adopted by the federation at a particular time.”

The ambiguity of “offshore” has been a source of argument in Kelantan’s claim to oil royalty. The federal government had denied  Kelantan’s oil royalty entitlement as extraction occurred beyond the three nautical-mile limit.

Anwar said  “offshore” was mentioned three times in the Act but was never defined.

He said the definition would avoid ambiguity in the future and provide a clearer fiscal regime to the oil and gas industry.

“The current tussle between the federal and state governments sends a negative signal to future investors in the country’s offshore oil and gas sector.

“The current act by the federal government that twists and turns the spirit of PDA 1974 by utilising legal loopholes arising from the non-definition of the word ‘offshore’ sends a negative signal to the industry which needs to be addressed urgently,” said Anwar.

Meanwhile, the domestic trade, cooperative and consumerism ministry plans to table a Competition Bill next year to safeguard consumer interest against monopolies and cartels.

Its minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri said once the Competition Act was passed, no single company would be able to have a monopoly of any goods or services and dictate the marketplace.

“The practice of companies coming together as a cartel and determining the prices could also be monitored. We want to encourage competition in the marketplace,” Ismail told reporters
at the parliament lobby yesterday.

Earlier, Ismail told the Dewan Rakyat that the ministry was doing its best to reduce the use of plastic bags by retailers.

He said the ministry carried out a one-month campaign at Jusco department stores last year to reduce usage of plastic bags while Carrefour had announced that four of its new stores would be plastic bag-free.