KUCHING: The opposition has been called on to stop pouring cold water on the ongoing negotiations between the state government, Petronas, and the federal government on Sarawak’s oil and gas rights.
Assistant Minister of Youth Development Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the proposed 10 per cent stake in Malaysia Liquefied Natural Gas Sdn Bhd (MLNG) 4 as announced by Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Adenan Satem recently was among the first results of the ongoing negotiations.
Speaking to thesundaypost yesterday, Abdul Karim, who is a Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) supreme council member, said the state government was still negotiating on other areas, which it felt were pertinent for review.
These include opportunities for Sarawak entrepreneurs in the oil and gas industries and educational scholarships, he elaborated.
“It is not fair for YB Chong Chieng Jen (Democratic Action Party Sarawak chairman) to just pour cold water on these ongoing negotiations. Actually, the state committees are going to look into specific areas where Petronas is requested to increase participation, and until a final decision is made, it’s wise for YB Chong to support what the CM and the state government are doing instead of just making a sweeping running down remark,” he said.
Abdul Karim was responding to Chong’s statement that Sarawak’s 10 per cent stake in MLNG 4 “is nothing to shout about”.
The Bandar Kuching member of parliament and Kota Sentosa assemblyman went on to say that the state has held 10 per cent interest in MLNG 2 and 3 since the 1990s, adding that the Chief Minister’s Office should be very well aware that a 10-per cent stake in MLNG 4 “is a totally separate matter to the 20 per cent oil and gas royalty for Sarawak”.
On this, Abdul Karim said Chong should have welcomed what the state government was doing as the relook into this state’s oil and gas rights is unprecedented and Chong should have appreciated this.
“YB Chong should ask himself. Has Pakatan Rakyat or DAP ever bothered to look into this matter, except only during elections … (through ceramahs in the evening) and that evening is just to arouse the people of Sarawak to hate the government. This is their brand of politics, creating hatred and dividing the rakyat,” he said.