By CHONG CHIENG JEN
COMMENT: While Sarawak BN is blowing its hot air about “getting full control of oil and gas in Sarawak”, PETRONAS is continuing selling the gas fields in Sarawak to another third party.
In an official announcement made on 11-4-2018, Sapura Energy Bhd announced that it has got the rights to develop gas field SK408 from Petronas.
Sapura Exploration and Production (Sarawak) Inc (Sapura E&P), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sapura Energy Bhd, will develop the SK408 block comprising the Gorek, Larak, and Bakong gas fields offshore Sarawak together with its partners, Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd and Sarawak Shell Bhd.
In a statement today, Sapura Energy said it had taken the final investment decision (FID) to develop Phase 1 of the SK408 Production Sharing Contract following field development plan approval from Petronas and the signing of key terms to a gas sales agreement.”
This announcement and the continued sale of gas fields by Petronas is a slap in the face of Abang Jo’s purported claim of full regulatory power over oil and gas industry in Sarawak.
The Sarawak State Government or its wholly-owned company, PETROS, is not even a privy to the agreement signed by Sapura and Petronas.
This only goes to prove that, notwithstanding Abang Jo’s self-proclaimed unconstitutionality of the Petroleum Development Act 1974, the Act still continues to validly and legally vest all the ownership over oil and gas found in Sarawak in Petronas and Sarawak Government still remains entitled only to the meagre 5% royalty on the oil and gas extracted.
Pakatan Harapan thus call upon Abang Jo to stop fooling the people of Sarawak with his self-proclaimed rights.
Pakatan Harapan has agreed to return 20% oil and gas royalties to Sarawak and that is almost the maximum that any oil company can make out of production of oil and gas. In other words, the 20% oil and gas royalties offered is practically giving to Sarawak all the profit there is in the production of oil and gas.
The offer was also put into an agreement form signed by the Pakatan Harapan who offers the same for Sarawak State Government to sign and agree.
If Abang Jo truly has the interest of the people of Sarawak at heart, he will sign the Agreement without any hesitation, instead of beating around the bush with Najib and UMNO.
• Chong Chieng Jen is Pakatan Harapan Sarawak Chairman cum DAP Sarawak Chairman
