KUCHING: Suarah Petroleum Group (SPG) fully supports the state government under Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem in its efforts to restore the state’s rights over its own territory and resources, especially its petroleum resources.
SPG president Hamim Yusuf said in a press statement that Petronas activities within the state must benefit the state and therefore must be regulated by the state, in accordance with all applicable state laws and the Federal Constitution.
“This is in line with SPG’s mission to assist the state government by providing professional advice and services to maximise Sarawak’s socio-economic benefits and safeguard its rights in the oil and gas industry for its present and future generations,” he said.
There is no doubt that Sarawak has been left out of an equitable share of the nation’s development, even though its petroleum resources have contributed a substantial portion to the national budget, he added.
“After 40 years of one-sided development riding on the back of the state’s petroleum resources, it is high time that Sarawak and its people utilise its own petroleum resources for the benefit of the state itself towards achieving economic parity, which is also in the national interest as a whole.”
SPG wholeheartedly agrees with Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing’s recent statement that local
firms are capable of taking over oil and gas production from Petronas.
SPG itself has grouped together a pool of expertise of more than 50 oil and gas professionals in all aspects of the petroleum industry who are highly capable of assisting the state government in its objectives to obtain greater economic benefit for Sarawak from its own petroleum resources, the statement added.
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