Najib promises more oil, gas revenue for Sabahans

Najib says he will use his capacity as prime minister and minister responsible for Petronas to obtain a better percentage in revenue.

KOTA KINABALU: Najib Razak has assured Sabah that it would continue to get more revenue from its oil and gas resources.

The prime minister said apart from the oil and gas royalty of five per cent, Sabah was also given a 10 per cent stake in Petronas LNG Train 9 Sdn Bhd in Bintulu, Sarawak, which would generate an additional revenue to the state and its people.

“That’s why I said, you can make a request, but let us negotiate and we have a formula that Sabah would receive more from the oil and gas revenue. This has been clarified by (Chief Minister) Musa Aman,” he said when opening the Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (UPKO) Convention in Kota Kinabalu, Saturday.

Najib said even though the request for an increase in the oil and gas royalty had yet to be fulfilled, the 10 per cent stake given to Sabah in the Petronas project in Bintulu had met the goal of raising its revenue from oil and gas resources, albeit in a different way.

As the prime minister and minister responsible for Petronas, Najib said he would make sure that Sabah would get more revenue from its oil and gas resources.

He said the federal government’s decision to award Sabah a stake in the Petronas LNG project lived up to the spirit of solidarity and the principle of camaraderie between the federal and state governments as well as among Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders.

Najib said whatever problems or challenges faced could be overcome only if the spirit of solidarity and the principle of camaraderie existed as ironing out problems through collaborative efforts was much easier than doing it alone.

However, he said any action taken should be based on the Constitution and the federal principles as Malaysia was formed on the bedrock of the principles.

Najib said the federal government has its own jurisdiction and likewise, the state government, and to ensure that common goals could be attained, matters arising should be resolved through negotiations and mutual respect for each other’s jurisdiction.

The prime minister said the federal government’s decision to set up the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to investigate problems related to illegal immigrants in Sabah was also the result solidarity among BN component parties.

He said UPKO raised the matter first before Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) followed suit and it was agreed upon by Sabah UMNO that led to the setting up of the commission, even though it took a little time.

On Sabah’s land issue, he said the federal government had allocated millions of ringgit to the state government to measure and demarcate land to be awarded to natives.

He said the federal government was willing to consider granting an additional allocation for the purpose in the interest of the people of Sabah.

- BERNAMA