THEY said we, through our past leaders, were the ones who gave it away in the first place.
They said we would never get it back and were doomed.
They said we were too afraid to demand its return, and that the development gap between Sarawak and Malaya will never be bridged.
Today, we are putting our foot down on our demand, and we are resolute in getting it back, and we will get it back, eventually, one way or another.
I am, of course, referring to Sarawak’s struggle to assert its rights over oil and gas.
That is how I will remember it; that is also how Sarawakians will remember it and most importantly, that is how history will remember it.
But history will also remember those who opposed us and those bent on depriving us of our rights.
History will remember doubters and naysayers; how they lack foresight and have clouded judgement.
So, the question is, do we want to be on the right side of history?
This week, we were stunned by news of an American oil giant pulling out from a deepwater oil and gas project with the national oil and gas company in Sarawak.
Many have opted to jump on the bandwagon to blame the Sarawak government for asserting its rights over oil and gas, which purportedly created “uncertainties” leading to the exit.
News organisations pounced on the value of the project – USD3.1 billion or about RM13.7 billion – as if to suggest that Malaysia has lost that amount of money because of Sarawak.
They said had we not disturbed the ‘golden goose’, such would not have happened and we would have pocketed that amount – RM13.7 billion – and we all would be infinitely richer because of it.
They said we do not have the experience and capacity to manage our own oil and gas sector, causing a dip in investor confidence.
They said it would be better for everyone had we just kept quiet and let our resources be exploited at our own expense.
Not only are these views incredibly daft and incredibly insensitive, but they showed just how little those people – who I assume are not Sarawakians – think of us and our contributions to this country.
Sarawak, being a partner to the formation of Malaysia, forming a country with Malaya, Sabah and Singapore, brought stability to the region.
This stability allowed Malaysia to prosper and I think we have been more than kind to share our resources for the overall development of the nation.
Sarawak did not have to, but being kind people as we are, our resources funded the infrastructure and facilities of other states in Malaysia, blessing them with the gift of development, while we, find ourselves wanting.
But now, with sheer ingenuity and political will by the current Sarawak administration led by the Premier, we are enjoying the developments that are long overdue.
Why, you might ask? It was because we were able to claw back some of the revenues from our own oil and gas resources, which we fought for – thanks or no thanks to Malaya.
The Malay saying, “seperti kacang lupakan kulit” (a nut that has forgotten its shell) comes to mind. While quoting proverbs, I might as well add: “Never bite the hand that feeds you”.
To put it straight, Sarawak is not looking to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs, as some would think. Instead, what we want is to have what is owed to us – the control of our own resources, and with that, the participation in our own industry.
On the exit by the oil giant, setbacks are temporary. There is every possibility for re-engagement, if not by the same player, it would be by other players. Maybe better terms – terms favourable to Sarawak and the interests of its people.
But if we choose to lose this fight, our rights will be lost forever. Probably, that is the motivation by certain quarters, to bully Sarawak into submission, telling us to “let it go; don’t fight”. This is not new, for months we have been hounded by these voices, by those with vested interests.
The latest is by the federal opposition saying it is ready to strengthen the much-contested Petroleum Development Act 1974 (PDA) which vests control of all oil and gas activities in Malaysia to the national oil and gas company.
This is just an attempt to win brownie points in Malaya, amid public discontent over the issues surrounding the oil and gas situation.
The opposition member, Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal argued: “Why kill our best player on the team when you can’t produce the same kind of player in the next 10 or 20 years?”. He was referring to PETRONAS, saying he would defend it “to the last mile”.
Perikatan Nasional (PN) controls Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah. Two of those – Kelantan and Terengganu – are also oil-producing states.
I would be very surprised if they wouldn’t ride on Sarawak coattails, going for spoils after Sarawak had fully asserted its rights on oil and gas.
Just a few months ago, Wan Ahmad Fayhsal’s fellow PN colleague, Pengkalan Chepa MP Datuk Ahmad Marzuk Shaary, had called for Kelantan and Terengganu to be given the autonomy to control its oil and gas resources, similar to Sarawak.
In this case, they want the cake and eat it too. Either you choose to defend the superiority of the PDA or defend the interests of your states. You can’t have it both ways.
This is what we are up against – politicians, analysts, personalities and people who are consistently inconsistent. They, the cynics, the critics and doubters. They – who I mentioned in the early parts of this article.
Their common interest is only to see Sarawak not given its due.
The road ahead will be challenging and, at this moment, we should remain united and we should remain resolute. There are no two ways about it – we must pull through and see it to the end.
We have seen with what little revenue we managed to claw back, through the State Sales Tax (SST) and our revenue re-engineering methods, have brought unprecedented levels of development to Sarawak.
This gambit, aside from restoring what is rightfully ours, in terms of the control of oil and gas resources, will bring about new revenue streams, which will cascade to the people in terms of funding infrastructure development and people-centric initiatives.
This means there are more benefits to come and the current benefits will be enjoyed by more people. To coin an overused phrase: It is a game-changer for Sarawak.
We have come this far; it makes every sense to push further. That is what our forefathers would have wanted.
That is also what the Premier, Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg – a leader who is known for being a tough negotiator – is set out to do.
Trust in our leader and our people.
In the words of former chief minister, Almarhum Pehin Sri Adenan Satem: “Jaga Sarawak bait-bait” (take good care of Sarawak).
The views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of Sarawak Tribune. The writer can be reached at nazmixsuhaimi@gmail.com.
