By Doreen Ling
KUCHING, May 17: The Sarawak government does not want to ‘kill off’ PETRONAS—it wants to work with them because if Sarawak progresses, then Malaysia will follow suit as well, says Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
The Premier expressed appreciation to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for understanding the situation, which was why Anwar agreed on Petros becoming Sarawak’s sole gas aggregator.
“I am thankful to him, and we continue our efforts to manage fairly. We don’t want to ‘kill off’ PETRONAS, we want to work with them,” he said.
“After all, PETRONAS and Petros both start with the letter ‘P’,” he quipped, adding that both carry out the same work, which will benefit not only Sarawak but also Malaysia.
He said this during the officiation ceremony of the Batang Rajang Bridge, which is now the Tun Datuk Patinggi Tuanku Haji Bujang Tuanku Haji Othman Bridge, in Sarikei today.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Infrastructure and Port Development Sarawak, Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas; Minister of Utility and Telecommunication Sarawak and Sebuyau assemblyman Dato Sri Julaihi Narawi; Deputy Minister of Urban Planning, Land Administration, and Environment Sarawak and Kuala Rajang assemblyman, Datuk Len Talif Salleh; and Sarawak Secretary, Dato Sri Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki, were also present at the event.
On May 13, Abang Johari said that a formal agreement between Sarawak and the federal government on oil and gas is set to be unveiled soon, which will, among others, recognise both federal and Sarawak laws governing the petroleum sector.
Abang Johari hinted that the long-anticipated agreement will reaffirm the legal standing of both federal and Sarawak laws related to oil and gas, particularly in the context of governance and regulatory jurisdiction.
This followed a high-level meeting chaired by Anwar in Putrajaya on May 9, which included the top leadership of PETRONAS and Petros.
Tensions between PETRONAS and Petros have escalated in recent months, particularly after Sarawak accused PETRONAS’ exploration arm, PETRONAS Carigali, of operating the Miri crude oil terminal without a valid State licence—a move that reignited a licensing dispute and pushed both sides toward a negotiated settlement.
Petros has also taken legal action against PETRONAS over a RM7.9 million claim related to a bank guarantee demanded by the national oil company. — DayakDaily
