Disclose Details Of Sarawak Petronas O G Deal Dap Tells Abang Jo

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DAP’s Chong Chieng Jen said Sarawakians are ultimately the owners of the oil and gas found in the state, and should not be kept in the dark on the agreement reached with Petronas. (AFP pic)
PETALING JAYA: Sarawak DAP has called on premier Abang Johari Openg to disclose the terms of the settlement between the state government and national petroleum company Petronas on the dispute over the rights to oil and gas (O&G) resources.
State DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen said it has been more than two weeks since Abang Johari publicly announced that an agreement had been reached in the longstanding conflict between Petronas and the state, the Borneo Post reported.
He said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was also expected to announce the details of the agreement soon afterwards.
“Yet, there seems to be no announcement by the prime minister on the resolution (of the matter) and the so-called amicable settlement between Petronas and Sarawak,” he was quoted as saying.
Chong said Sarawakians have the right to be informed of the agreement “which may compromise our claims by generations to come”.
“Is Sarawak to be taken for a ride again?” he asked.
He said Sarawakians are ultimately the owners of the oil and gas found in the state, and the state government is merely a “trustee entrusted to manage the resources”.
It is, therefore, only proper that the trustee reports to the owners on how the assets are to be managed, he said.
“As such, I call upon Abang Johari to reveal the terms of the so-called solution to the competing claims of Petronas and Sarawak over oil and gas found in and around Sarawak and not keep us Sarawakians in the dark,” he said.
On Dec 10, Abang Johari revealed that a solution had been reached over the dispute between Sarawak and Petronas over the O&G resources in and around the state, but said he could not disclose the formula.
He said the matter could now be considered resolved, pending the official announcement.
He also said the issue was merely a legal matter, with Petronas relying on the Petroleum Development Act 1974 (PDA), and Sarawak on the Oil and Mining Ordinance 1958 (OMO).
Over the past year, Sarawak has pressed hard for Petronas to ink a deal that would make Petroleum Sarawak Bhd (Petros) the sole gas aggregator in the state. - FMT

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