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LAWAS: Sarawak is firm in its stand to ask the federal government to recognise its constitutional rights for equitable share of revenue and opportunities.
In declaring this, Second Minister of Resource Planning and Environment Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said this is reflected in the ongoing negotiations led by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem that have brought significant results.
“We have from the onset fought for the state’s rights under the constitution and it goes beyond mere higher royalty from the oil and gas revenue,” he said when met at his Hari Raya open house here yesterday.
He pointed out that the state has pushed for action through the State Legislative Assembly and among the results were allocation of RM2.1 billion worth of contracts to Sarawak companies by Petronas, funds for technical training colleges and CSR projects in the state.
Awang Tengah, who is also Minister of Industrial Development and Minister of Public Utilities, said the RM2.1 billion was a baseline figure which could be increased annually.
Apart from seeking higher royalty, Sarawak had also pushed for greater allocation of gas feedstock as a catalyst to develop more downstream petrochemical industries in the state to generate greater economic spin-offs and job creation.
“We will continue to fight for higher oil royalty, more funds, devolution of powers within our constitutional rights,” he added.
He said this to a question on whether the state would follow Sabah in pushing for 40 per cent entitlement of revenue collected by the federal government from the state.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hanifah Aman was quoted by Bernama as saying that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had agreed to set up a special committee to study the state’s requests.
Sabah state ministers and leaders have voiced their support for the setting up of a special committee, with deputy chief ministers Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan and Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Kiah voicing their support at Sabah’s Head of State Tun Juhar Mahiruddin’s Hari Raya open house.
Pairin, who is also Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) president, said the committee would look into what was left out in the calculation of revenue for the state.
He said the prime minister’s decision reflected a positive attitude and acceptance of a memorandum on the matter submitted by Anifah on July 15 this year.
Awang Tengah also pointed out that the federal government had responded to Sarawak’s request for bigger development funds to boost infrastructure development in the state, judging by the huge allocation under the National Key Results Areas (NKRAs) for rural electrification, water supply, roads and other infrastructure apart from the Pan Borneo Highway project.
“We will continue to ask for more funds and pursue our chief minister’s call for devolution of powers to reduce the layers of government bureaucracy,” he said.
Earlier on, PBB Bukit Sari deputy chairman Awangku Jinal Abidin Pengiran Jawa led his exco members to pay Hari Raya visit to Awang Tengah at his residence, bearing a Hari Raya cake.
Awang Tengah is the branch chairman and Bukit Sari assemblyman.
July 20, 2015, Monday Philip Kiew, reporters@theborneopost.com
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