To prevent the oil and gas resources from ending up the same way as the once rich timber and land resources of the State, I have yesterday, tabled a Motion to the Sarawak DUN to set up a Special Select Committee pursuant to Standing Order 74 of the Sarawak DUN to oversee and supervise the policies and management of PETROS. 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 Barisan Nasional (BN) Government 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.
Now that the forest and huge area of land were gone, Sarawakians remain the 5 th poorest households amongst the 13 States and 3 territories (Labuan, Putrajaya & Kuala Lumpur) in Malaysia.
The GPS are no different from the previous Sarawak BN. They are the same people.
Therefore, to ensure that our oil and gas resources were not exploited only to benefit a few but were equitably distributed and used to create wealth for the general public of Sarawak, a cross-party Special Select Committee must be set up to ensure transparency and equity in the policies
and management of PETROS.
The following is my Motion:
“ WHEREAS :
- Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (PETROS) has been formally launched by the Sarawak State Government on 6-3-2018 to take charge of the regulation and management of the Oil and Gas Resources in Sarawak.
- Oil and Gas are important resources of Sarawak. They are depletable and thus it is of utmost importance that the extraction, use and management of the Oil and Gas in Sarawak must be optimised for wealth creation for all Sarawakians.
- In the past, rich natural resources of the State (timber, minerals and land) were exploited and depleted for wealth creation for the elites but the people of Sarawak remain the 5 th poorest amongst the 13 states and 3 territories in the country.
- 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.
THEREFORE IT IS MOVED THAT THIS HOUSE HEREBY RESOLVES THAT:-
A Special Select Committee comprising at least one State Legislative Assembly member from every political party having members in this House to be appointed to oversee and supervise the policies and management of PETROS with the purpose to ensure that the wealth from the Oil and Gas generated through PETROS will be fairly and equitably distributed to all Sarawakians.