Should Sarawak have less MP seats?

June 12, 2013

Yes, there is an oil & gas angle, bear with me. Dateline 2013-05-26, FMT:

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The key to improving Sarawak’s socio-economic gap is to redefine the Pertroleum Act 1974.

More money for Sarawak is of course very attractive and indeed makes it sounds as if it’s the first solution to poverty woes.

However, it is pointless to lobby for more money if funds are siphoned away through the unknown channels of corruption

Fact is Sarawak and Sabah have paid more than their reasonable dues to the federal government.

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Posted by Wata

‘Open up PETRONAS’ books’

June 6, 2013

Too bad we can’t open up our elected reps (all of them) offshore bank account books.

From FMT, dateline 2013-05-19:

A Sabah state legislative assembly representative has called for greater  transparency, accountability and creditability in the shadowy world of the nation’s oil wealth that is now only privy to the Prime Minister.

Luyang representative Hiew King Cheu said the need to amend the Petroleum Development Act 1974 is in line with Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s declared intentions of creating a more responsible government.

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King of the past reaching for Malaysia oil reserves

March 28, 2013

Yeah, baby. Someone else said it, not me. Dateline 2013-03-19, from RT (what the heck is RT?)

Malaysia, boasting the third-largest oil reserves in the Asia-Pacific region, finds itself on the verge of a military fight over its richest region.

Malaysia has been in the midst of an ongoing security crisis since early February, when a group of 235 rag-tag militiamen from the neighboring southern Philippines slipped into the eastern state of Sabah and began occupying several villages. While engaging police in multiple firefights, the insurgents beheaded and mutilated several captured Malaysian security personnel, prompting Malaysian forces to deploy fighter jets in an unprecedented air assault over the area in an operation to flush out the intruders. The gunmen call themselves the “Royal Army of the Sulu Sultanate,” representing the heirs of a long-defunct kingdom which once controlled the territory up until the late nineteenth century. The so-called Sultan of Sulu, Jamalul Kiram III, who is believed to be directing the militant incursion from Manila, insists that Sabah is rightfully part of his kingdom and has vowed not budge on his claims even if his personnel are killed in the standoff.

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Sabah’s natural gas set to fuel growth of industries over next few decades

March 14, 2013

Any Sabahan companies want to team up with Synergy? We’re going to need to create a company in Sabah, to reap its assets? Or did I spell reap wrong?

Dateline 2013-03-07, by the Malaysian Insider:

Sabah, with over 12 trillion cu ft of gas reserves, is able to fuel the growth of various industries, including the larger ones, over a few decades, said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai.

He said the active promotion of natural gas usage, a much cheaper and environmentally-friendlier alternative fuel, was in line with the government’s five-fuel policy, thus avoiding over-dependence on a single energy source.

“On average, a 1,000-megawatt (MW) gas-fired combine cycle power plant requires 1.1 trillion cu ft of gas over a period of 25 years.

“The total capacity of Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd is 866.4 MW. You can work out the scale and magnitude of what the little reserves we have can do for us,” he said at a talk on “Alternative Energy Source — Compressed Natural Gas” here today.

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Sabah’s oil curse strikes again

November 29, 2012

Didn’t know there was a curse. Ni macam sumpah Pulau Langkawi ke?

Dateline 2012-11-12:

Sabah lost control of its oil wealth more than 30 years ago but the fallout of the widely acknowledged cock-eyed contract is continuing to roil business dealings in the state.

The state Barisan Nasional government is now facing more questions over how it is managing the Petronas-sponsored Sabah Oil and Gas Terminal (SOGT) project that began more than a year ago.

The Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) has accused Chief Minister Musa Aman’s Umno-led BN government of failing to safeguard the interest of the local companies in the ongoing multi-billion-ringgit project.

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UMS mulls oil and gas school

November 14, 2012

Oh, come on. It’s difficult enough to get good quality graduates of the classical engineering disciplines. Now you want to limit them to a trade? What will the BEM say?

Dateline 2012-10-14:

Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) will consider a suggestion by Labuan Corporation to set up a faculty of oil and gas and shipping at its Labuan Campus.

UMS vice chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Mohd Harun Abdullah said this yesterday in response to the suggestion by Labuan Corporation deputy chief executive officer, Amir Onn Mustpha during the UMS-KAL Town Gown Program here yesterday.

“Oil and gas is an important field of studies and we will look into this matter including the facilities before we can open up the faculty at UMS, Labuan International Campus (UMS-KAL),” he said.

Amir earlier told the media that if UMS-KAL could start the oil and gas school here, students could go for their training and practical at several oil and gas companies here.

“These students can get a job in oil and gas sector here right after they finish their studies later.

“LC is also ready to help UMS-KAL in terms of facilities including land to help the campus to set up the school here,” he said.

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RM7.2b oil royalty ‘rip-off’ for Sabah

November 3, 2012

Dateline 2012-10-17:

The RM7.2 billion received by Sabah for the past 40 years, being the 5% oil royalty payment under an agreement to extract the commodity from the state and its waters, is a major rip-off for the Sabahans, Kota Kinabalu MP Hiew King Cheu said today.

“The Sabahans’ demand for an increase in oil and gas sharing is understandable and this figure [of RM7.2 billion] is solid proof that the wealth of the Sabahan is exploited and being siphoned away.

“We did not enjoy the wealth provided by mother earth; instead we ended up with plenty of hardship, poverty, no development, and poor economy. Many other oil-producing countries are rich, but Sabah has remained a poor state,” he said.

He was commenting on Prime Minister-cum-Finance Minister Najib Tun Razak’s reply to a question raised by him in Parliament recently.

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Bid to nullify the oil royalty deal

October 26, 2012

Dateline 2012-09-26:

Six Sabahan businessmen filed a suit at the High Court here, Tuesday, seeking to declare the Petroleum Agreement between the Sabah State Government and Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) signed on June 14, 1976 ultra vires as well as null and void.

Lahirul Latigu (first plaintiff), Mohd Julpikar Ab Mijan (second plaintiff), Zainal Ajamain (third plaintiff), Joseph Wilfred (fourth plaintiff), Duli @ Dullie Mari @ Marie (fifth plaintiff) and Michael Peter Govind @ Mike Govind (sixth plaintiff) named Petroliam Nasional Berhad as the first defendant and the Sabah State Government as the second defendant.

The businessmen were also seeking a declaration that the Petroleum Development Act, in so far as it applies to the agreement dated June 14, 1976 between the first defendant and the second defendant is ultra vires null and void.

They are claiming for damages to be assessed, cost plus statutory interest and other relief deemed fit by the High Court.

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Oil-rich Sabah still the poorest

September 14, 2012

Dateline 2012-09-07:

The oil royalty re-negotiations which both Sabah and Sarawak chief ministers have suddenly agreed to would have to take into account history and the actual numbers earned by Petronas and the federal government.

It is vital that the leaders go into these discussions with Putrajaya knowing the true facts of the agreement and the events leading up to how both states were “coerced” into signing the agreements.

If I recall correctly, Sarawak commenced its oil production in the early 1900s. Sabah has been producing oil for 30 years now.

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Jeffrey: Beware oil ‘slick’ trap by Sabah BN

September 9, 2012

Guess what topic related to O&G is hot on the political bucket lists nowadays? Puchong wants it petroleum royalties, sorry wang ehsan as well.

Dateline 2012-08-23:

Maverick politician Jeffrey Kitingan warned the ruling Umno-BN state government not to use Sabah’s oil riches as an election gimmick to gain favour with the electorate.

He said the “so-called review will test the sincerity” of the federal government and the Sabah leaders as well as the “extent of the federal-state relationship.”

“If Musa is truly a Sabahan at heart, this is the most opportune time to not only seek a review but to demand and negotiate a new deal for Sabah’s oil and gas resources for the benefit of Sabah and its future.

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