KUCHING, Jan. 23 -- Judicial Commissioner Christopher Chin Soo Yin today dismissed an application by Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) to recuse him from hearing a civil suit filed by the Comptroller of the State Sales Tax (SST) and the state government against the oil company over the non-payment of SST on the export of petroleum products in Sarawak.

He said the possibility of him being biased in hearing the suit does not arise.

"I, with hand over heart, rule that there is no real possibility of perceived bias by a fair-minded observer having knowledge of the facts, and I dismiss the defendant's application to recuse me," he said in his judgment.

Chin said the application, even with the avowed best intentions of Petronas, is an aff...