Kuala Lampur, May 3 -- Unbeknown to many, the rights of ownership of the Federal Government and the various States in the Federation of Malaysia to the petroleum resources in onshore land and offshore land have been examined at length by V. K. Moorthy more than 40 years ago in 1982.

The learned writer was a distinguished member of the Kuala Lumpur Bar. He read law at Lincoln's Inn and was called to the English Bar in 1965. He returned to Malaysia and was admitted as an Advocate and Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 1966.

He worked first for UMBC Bank and subsequently for Esso Malaysia Bhd from October 1966 as their first Legal Advisor. In January 1978, he moved to Melbourne, Australia where he taught law at Monash University befo...