by DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Feb 26: Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) remains open to collaborating with Petros on Sarawak’s hydrocarbon resources, according to president and group chief executive officer Tan Sri Tengku Muhammad Taufik, who emphasised the need to carefully balance Federal and State interests.
According to a news report by Bernama, Tengku Muhammad Taufik said the discussions on partnerships with Petros will be handled carefully.
“We want to ensure that the interests of both (Federal and State governments), as cited by the prime minister, are looked after,” he was quoted as saying to reporters after the announcement of Petronas’s financial performance for the financial year ended Dec 31, 2024 (FY24) yesterday.
“And in fact, Petronas has not behaved irresponsibly; we have not denied anyone any more deals. But as this unfurls, I think there needs to be a realisation that the longer this lasts, the more uncertainty will emerge amongst investors and buyers.
“Thankfully, the positive note is that the principles are coming closer between the Prime Minister and Sarawak Premier. We will work out the details. There is no animosity here or lack of communications,” he added.
Petronas is currently waiting for the details of discussions between the Federal government and Sarawak government on the scope of cooperation between the national oil firm and Petros.
While all contracts leading up to the Distribution of Gas Ordinance will remain in full force, the discussions aim to explore the cooperation to be undertaken by both companies involving any new projects in any field.
The national oil firm also said it is open to collaborations with Petros regarding the State’s hydrocarbon resources.
Prime Minister Datuk Anwar Ibrahim recently said the Federal government will meet the Sarawak state government to detail the scope of cooperation between Petros and Petronas.
He said Sarawak’s aspiration is enshrined in the Gas Distribution Ordinance 2016 (Amendment) (DGO), which will come into effect on March 1, 2025, as Petros is set to take over the State’s gas distribution. – DayakDaily
