Abang Johari smiles for the camera prior to signing the plaque to officiate Demak Fabrication Yard. With him are (from left) Abang Abdul Karim and Norhizan. — Photos by Muhammad Rais Sanusi
KUCHING: Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg has rubbished claims by a news portal that Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (Petros) is similar to the scandal-ridden 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
He stressed that Petros is a transparent regulatory authority for oil and gas activities in the state and was set up by the Sarawak Government to ensure that Sarawakians can participate in the upstream and downstream aspects of the oil and gas industry in the state.
“It (Petros) is a regulatory body and we have transparent management. There’s no such thing as Petros being something like 1MDB. That website (that published the report) is malicious and has bad intention,” he said when officiating at the opening of Demak Fabrication Yard, the loadout of Bokor D Substructure and the completion of Anjung Topside Projects for Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd, here yesterday.
The chief minister asserted that the Sarawak government is an ‘accountable and responsible government’. “We are transparent. At the end of the day, we want to deliver things and what has been promised to Sarawakians.”
Although Abang Johari did not name the portal which published the report, it is believed he was referring to the article titled ‘The Sarawak Oil Grab – Is Petros the 1MDB of Sarawak?’ which was published recently on a news portal which covers the oil and gas industry.
Abang Johari inserts a mock electronic card to officiate at the opening of Demak Fabrication Yard, as (from left) Abang Abdul Karim, Mazuin and Norhizan look on.
In the three-part article, the portal claimed that Petros was created as a vehicle to siphon oil money using similar tactics employed by former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his cronies to allegedly embezzle billions of ringgit from 1MDB.
On Demak Fabrication Yard, Abang Johari said he hopes it will become one of Sarawak’s largest fabrication yards, capable of delivering whatever task given to Brooke Dockyard.
“The new Demak Fabrication Yard has a capacity of 16,500 metric tonnes compared to 8,500 metric tonnes from Sejingkat Yard, making the overall fabrication capacity for Brooke Dockyard at 25,000 metric tonnes per year.”
The Demak Fabrication Yard is located on a 60-acre land at Demak Laut Industrial Estate Phase III, which is 5km from Sejingkat Yard. It aims to provide a secondary fabrication yard for oil and gas modules and marine engineering fabrication in order to enhance its capacity and capability.
An offshore platform (topside) under construction at Demak Fabrication Yard.
Meanwhile, Abang Johari also commended Brooke Dockyard for making it into The Malaysia Book of Records as the first organisation to receive the ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management System under the scope ‘The Fabrication of Structural Assembles and Modules for Oil and Gas Industries in Malaysia’.
“This is a real success for Brooke Dockyard in obtaining this new certification, as the organisation has always pride itself in practising high integrity and compliance to ensure that they achieve their key performance index (KPI),” he said.
Also present were Assistant Minister of Transportation Datuk Dr Jerip Susil, Demak Laut assemblyman Dr Hazland Abang Hipni, Brooke Dockyard and Engineering Works Corporation chairman Datuk Abang Abdul Karim Tun Openg, Petronas Project Delivery and Technology senior vice president Mazuin Ismail and Brooke Dockyard and Engineering Works Corporation general manager Norhizan Sazali.