By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Sept 7: Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Bawang Assan branch chief Robert Lau Hui Yew has stressed that Sarawak has every right to regain control over its resources in refuting misleading reports on the Sarawak’s push for autonomy and rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
In a statement today, Lau expressed concern over articles, particularly in alternative media, that misrepresent Sarawak’s pursuit of its rights.
“The public must not be misled by these articles,” he said, asserting the need to set the record straight.
Lau underscored Sarawak’s long-standing history, highlighting that the region existed for over a century before Malaysia was formed on Sept 16, 1963.
“Shell was already active in Sarawak around the turn of the century. ‘She’ was able to run her own oil and gas business, albeit from a low starting point because major finds were not made until after Malaysia was formed,” he said.
Lau further explained that with the creation of the Federation of Malaysia, power became centralised at the federal level, particularly in sectors like education and healthcare.
“We can see the lack of investments in these two critical areas in Sarawak. We have dilapidated schools and hospitals, with the vast majority of the equipment already categorised as beyond economic repair,” he added.
One of the key promises made during Malaysia’s formation, according to Lau, was the rapid development of Sarawak. However, the discovery of substantial oil and gas reserves off Sarawak’s coast drew federal interest.
“With Malaya’s economy struggling due to declining tin and rubber prices, Sarawak’s oil and gas resources were seen as the solution,” Lau claimed, suggesting that efforts were then made to federalise these natural assets.
“Firstly, these are Sarawak assets, which she maintained until PETRONAS was established.
“But the promise of progress under Malaysia’s new government was never fully realised,” he pointed out.
For most of the past 60 years, Sarawak has consistently ranked among Malaysia’s poorest states, Lau argued, even though the region’s economy has experienced significant growth over the last decade, with revenue and budget tripling.
He went on to say that the establishment of Sarawak’s own oil and gas company, Petros, as the sole aggregator has brought the long-standing struggle for ownership to a head.
While acknowledging concerns about potential conflicts between Petros and PETRONAS, he criticised certain media portrayals that question Sarawak’s ability to manage its resources.
“Some articles suggesting that Sarawak lacks the capability to manage its resources is inadequate and a condescending view,” he said.
Lau took particular issue with the argument that PETRONAS’ success as a Forbes 500 company justifies federal control of Sarawak’s resources.
“With more than half a trillion of natural resources, it doesn’t take a Herculean effort to reach that status,” he remarked.
Lau emphasised that the wealth extracted from Sarawak has not been matched by corresponding infrastructure or economic development in the region.
“Sarawak has the talent to manage and develop her resources. A developed and successful Sarawak is good for the whole country.
“Sarawak is not asking for more than what is rightly hers. Malaysia Agreement 1963 has to be honoured,” he reiterated. — DayakDaily
