KUCHING, Nov 3: Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen yesterday (Nov 2) tabled a Motion to DUN to set up a Special Select Committee to oversee and supervise the policies and management of Petros.
In a statement today, Chong emphasised that the Motion, pursuant to Standing Order 74 of the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN), was to ensure that the state’s oil and gas resources will not be exploited only to benefit a few but will be equitably distributed and used to create wealth for the general populace of Sarawak.
“As such, a cross-party Special Select Committee must be set up to ensure transparency and equity in the policies and management of Petros (Petroleum Sarawak Berhad),” the Sarawak Democratic Action Party (DAP) leader said.
The motion thus sought to resolve a Special Select Committee comprising at least one DUN member from every political party having members in this House to be appointed to oversee and supervise the policies and management of Petros.
The purpose, Chong reiterated, would be to ensure that wealth from the oil and gas revenue generated through Petros will be fairly and equitably distributed to all Sarawakians.
Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), he claimed, was no different from the previous Sarawak Barisan Nasional (BN) as they comprise the same people.
“Like timber and land, oil and gas are depletable resources. Once extracted and exploited, the resources are depleted.
“The exploitation of our forest and land under the previous Sarawak BN has resulted in deprivation of forest and land to the native people; destruction of the natural habitat of Sarawak; creation of a small circle of super-rich cronies; and the large majority of Sarawakians remain poor,” he claimed.
Also claiming that the forest and huge area of land were gone, Chong who is the Kota Sentosa assemblyman, stressed that Sarawakians ranked fifth in terms of poorest households amongst the 13 states and three territories of Labuan, Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.
Chong’s motion acknowledged that Petros has been formally launched by the Sarawak government on March 6, 2018 to take charge of the regulation and management of the state’s oil and gas resources.
As oil and gas are important resources of Sarawak but which are depleted, he emphasised that it is of utmost importance that the extraction, use and management of the state’s oil and gas be optimised for wealth creation for all Sarawakians.
“Transparency, equitable policies and integrity are thus the keys to management of the state’s rich natural resources if all Sarawakians regardless of race, religion and class were to benefit from the exploitation thereof.” — DayakDaily
