KUCHING: Batu Kitang Assemblyman Datuk Lo Khere Chiang has hit back at Padungan Assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen, saying the past promise of 20 per cent oil royalty and 50 per cent tax returns to Sarawak by the then federal government was just a ‘fairy tale’.
Lo said Chong may have forgotten that the latter made the promise in the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN).
“Member for Padungan suggest Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) to request for 30 per cent equity for Sarawak.
“What makes Chong thinks that our request for 30 per cent equity on oil and gas will be granted to us (Sarawak) when 20 per cent oil and gas and 50 per cent of taxes collected as promised was reduced to a fairy tale?” Lo said in a press conference at the DUN Complex today.
Lo also dismissed Chong’s argument that the 20 per cent oil royalty was conditional upon GPS taking over education and health matters.
“Isn’t that what GPS has been asking for all these time?
“Even today, we are pursuing the return of autonomy on education and health back to Sarawak. So what is Chong talking about?
“What Chong should do is to go back to Parliament and request for autonomy on health and education be returned to Sarawak. That is what he should be doing,” he said.
He added that the federal government under the Federal Constitution provides an annual budget for health and education to Sarawak.
“Annually, the federal government provides an allocation for our hospital and for our schools. That is what they should be doing.
“I say, just continue to contribute what they are doing now annually to Sarawak, continue to give us back the budget, and we have our revenue of RM15 billion, which we will top up to improve our schools and health,” he said.
Lo then said having siphoned RM80 billion from oil and gas from Sarawak annually, the least the federal government should do is to continue to grant the state annual allocations on education and Health.
“And with our present financial position at the moment, with our RM15 billion revenue at the moment, we can top up what the federal government has been granting us annually, and we will do better, we will better take care of our hospitals and schools,” he said.
He also said Sarawak has achieved many firsts including achieving the biggest revenue of RM15 billion among all the states in Malaysia, RM8 billion sovereign wealth fund, providing free education in 2026, having the lowest electricity tariffs, water tariffs and assessment rates in the whole of Malaysia.
“I wish to remind all Sarawakians that Malaysia today owes RM1.3 trillion after siphoning RM80 billion of our oil and gas over the last 50 years, and we Sarawakians are shouldering part of this debts as well because we are part of Malaysia.
“So tell me, where is fairness?” He questioned.
In response to Chong’s claims saying that Premier recognises Petroleum Development Act 1974 (PDA74), Lo said Premier being a responsible Sarawakian, acknowledges the existence of PDA74 in order to ensure that the bigger picture of Malaysia is politically and socially stable.
Earlier, Chong, who is also the Stampin MP, said when debating the motion of appreciation debate for the Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar’s speech, that he acknowledged Abang Johari’s efforts in fighting for Sarawak’s oil and gas rights, and there is still room for improvement.
“I have suggested a 30 per cent equity participation in PETRONAS, that Sarawak be given 30 per cent of PETRONAS’ share.
“My 30 per cent equity participation is a suggestion.
“I made a suggestion, it is for the federal and the state government to proceed to think whether 30 per cent equity participation is enough or too much. If it’s too much, you go for less,” said Chong.
