KUCHING: One should consider the needs of the people as well as practicality, instead of criticising based on imaginary theories and hypotheses, says Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Information chief Datuk Idris Buang.
He said this in reference to a statement by Sarawak People’s Aspiration Party (Aspirasi) president Lina Soo in which she described the commercial settlement agreement (CSA) inked between the state government and Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) as a Judas Kiss meted out by Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) to the people of Sarawak.
“It is undeniably the case that Sarawak needs more revenue and support from the federal government and all other sectors in order to increase and improve its income streams,” he said.
He said Sarawak was in need of much more infrastructural, economic, industrial, and agricultural developments.
“This includes those in the vast rural areas in order to bring every nook and corner of the state on track with mainstream development.”
He stressed that this could not be achieved if the state were to depend on its traditional income base, and thus needed to be innovative, practically prudent, and rationally realistic.
Idris said that as a member of the State Legislative Assembly’s (DUN) Consultative Committee on the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), he was privy to some deliberative discussions on the good intention and desire of the state government to enter into the CSA with Petronas.
“It is almost unanimous, except for only one member dissenting, that we in the Consultative Committee have strongly agreed to Sarawak sealing the CSA with Petronas.
“The move to seal the CSA is favourably considered to be in the best interest of Sarawak as Petronas, with the knowledge and consent of the federal government, signifies their acceptance or cognisance to abide by the state laws of Sarawak such as Oil Mining Ordinance (OMO) 1958, State Sales Tax (SST), Sarawak Land Code (SLC), and so on.”
He said during negotiations with Petronas, the state government had to consider many relevant factors – local, national, and international as well as economic, legal, and social and/or political in nature – to determine what was best for Sarawak.
Considering the practicality of numerous possible outcomes and reasonable points of view, he said the GPS state government led by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg believed it was most prudent and highly beneficial to Sarawak that the state government enter into the CSA with the best of terms in its favour.
“That is why we have the CSA – an agreement that gives us what we want but at the same time, protects the interests of the nation.
“With CSA, there is no more guesswork, our rights are spelt out in black and white and Petronas is bound by it. It is an agreement that the Sarawak government, the federal government, and Petronas are all comfortable with.”
Describing this as a great victory for Sarawak, he said the state government under the leadership of the chief minister had managed to increase Sarawak’s revenue by billions without jeopardising relations with others.
He stressed that the state government had succeeded in gaining Petronas’ respect and understanding and sealed a mutually agreeable and practical commercial solution which clearly placed Sarawak on a solid level of advantages and benefits that would bring about many positive returns.
“The CSA is a historical breakthrough to Sarawak with regard to it having enormous opportunities to create more revenue streams, jobs, and economic activities through various spectrums of participation in the oil and gas industry.”
