The Dewan Rakyat today passed the government's motion to lift three 40-year-old emergency proclamations, amidst minor contentions from the opposition coalition.

Pakatan's main contention has been that another emergency, the one declared in 1964 during the Konfrontasi with Indonesia, was still in effect and had not been included.

The matter was raised by opposition MPs Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur), Salahuddin Ayub (PAS-Kubang Krian) and Karpal Singh (DAP-Jelutong) during the debate for the motion.

During his winding-up, Nazri refuted the claim, explaining that the 1964 Konfrontasi emergency proclamation had already lapsed.

"As ruled by the Privy Council in the Tan Boon Lai case, an existing emergency proclamation shall be superseded by a preceding emergency declaration. We stand by that ruling," explained Nazri arguing that the 1969 national emergency proclamation would have rendered the 1964 emergency null and void.

'Pay back royalties to Kelantan'

Salahuddin had also asserted that the government needs to issue back royalties to Kelantan for oil drilled in the state, as an emergency ordinance promulgated during the 1964 emergency re-drew the borders of Kelantan, thereby shunting off certain oil fields.

Those laws are now void, said Salahuddin.

Nazri, in reply said: "On the matter of existing legislation and new ones that may be affected by the lifting of the emergencies, the government will look into the matter and enact replacement laws.

"So the issue of issuing back royalties to Kelantan does not exist," said the minister in charge of law.

The issue of emergency ordinances re-drawing state borders being the reason why Kelantan was not paid certain oil royalties were first raised by Nazri in defense of the government non-payment of a percentage of royalties that Kelatan state government argued is due to it.