Be wary of PH’s O&G promises, Sarawakians reminded
Dr Sim holds up a newspaper page that shows the report on PH Sarawak manifesto during the press conference.
KUCHING: Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian hope that Sarawakians would not be easily fooled by the promises made by Pakatan Harapan (PH), especially those regarding the state’s oil and gas (O&G) royalties.
He said while PH had promised 20-per cent oil royalties for Sarawak, he believed that Barisan Nasional (BN) could fight for more than that – maybe 100 per cent.
According to him, this is possible since Sarawak has the right to own whatever it has.
“For a start, Sarawak does not recognise the Territorial Sea Act 2012. We are aware of what belonging to Sarawak and Sarawakians should know that we are fighting for and safeguarding it as well,” he told reporters at Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Batu Kawah branch office here yesterday.
Dr Sim, who is also Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) president and the BN candidate for Stampin parliamentary constituency in the coming election, said with stronger bargaining power, Sarawak would one day get back all its rights, including those over O&G royalties.
He was referring to the third part of PH Sarawak’s election manifesto where state PH chairman Chong Chieng Jen mentioned the promise of 10 per cent from total oil revenues that Sarawak earned to become ‘petro dividends’ for Sarawakians.
Dr Sim felt that the manifesto was ‘giving more attention to Peninsular Malaysia than to Sarawak’.
“Just imagine if we (BN Sarawak) could fight for 100 per cent of our oil and gas royalties. We can earn RM15 billion from that and Sarawakians would need to pay any tax anymore – we could build more infrastructures,” he said.
In the PH manifesto, Chong also said while BN could only promise to fight for 20 per cent, PH was willing to give 20 per cent of the O&G royalties to Sarawakians.
A large portion of the O&G fields in the country is situated in Sarawak’s waters – in this regard, there is a growing number of Sarawakians who want the state’s right to its own O&G resources be returned.
Under the present Petroleum Development Act 1974 and Territorial Sea Act 2012, Sarawak’s right to its own O&G resources is limited to merely three nautical miles offshore.
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