Friday 29 Mar 2024
By
main news image

(Aug 6): Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem today admitted the oil and gas royalty negotiations – for a hike of 15% from 5% to 20% – with Petronas and Putrajaya have ended in deadlock, but has vowed to fight for it “as long as I'm alive”.

Adenan told about 1,000 Malay land owners in Petrajaya in urban Kuching, where he presented to them title deeds to their Malay native land, that the oil and gas deposits in Sarawak “are ours”.

“If they are in Kelantan or Terengganu, I don't care. But if they are in Sarawak I will fight for what is ours.”

He said though the state had managed to wrangle some concessions from Petronas, like the promise to allocate RM2.1 billion worth of contracts to Sarawak companies, RM100 million to build a technical schoo, and its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes, during the course of the talks, the 20% royalty remains elusive.

At a Hari Raya gathering in Tanjung Manis new township, the southern node of the state's industrial corridor last Monday, Adenan had some tough words for Putrajaya over the deadlock and the state's request for further autonomy.

He reminded them that Sarawak was not a colony for them to plunder its resources.

“We don't want to be a colony of Kuala Lumpur (Putrajaya).”

He said Sarawak did not free itself from being a British colony, only to become “a colony of Kuala Lumpur”.

“The Cobbold Commission says the Federation of Malaysia shall be the coming together of equals. If Sarawak had not agreed then, there would have been no Malaysia.

“We agreed (to form as equals).”

Adenan said the request for a hike was because the state needed the funds to develop its rural areas which had lagged far behind in development.

He said the disparity in development between the urban and the rural areas in the state was so large that a lot of money was needed to close the gap.

“The oil and gas is ours. It's our gift from God.

“As long as I have not got it (the 20%), I will not stop fighting for it.” – The Malaysian Insider

      Print
      Text Size
      Share