BETONG: Sarawak continues to pursue its claim as the gas aggregator, as part of the state’s long-standing effort to secure its rights in the oil and gas sector.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said discussions are still ongoing and reaffirmed that Sarawak will not back down from asserting what belongs to the state under the law.
“This isn’t over yet. I want to take back our rights as the gas aggregator,” he said when officiating the Batang Saribas 1 Bridge here today.
Abang Johari said the state government had earlier exercised its legal authority by implementing the State Sales Tax (SST) on PETRONAS, which led to increased revenue used directly for development.
He said these efforts were only possible because of the strong mandate given by Sarawakians, which allowed the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government to act with confidence in defending state interests.
“We had the right under the Constitution, so they had to pay. That’s how we started generating our own income and returning it to the people.
“When I first took office, our budget was limited. Major projects were cancelled. So, I used the mandate from the people to find ways to increase revenue,” he said.
He added that Sarawak’s financial standing has since improved, with the World Bank recently recognising the state as a high-income region ahead of the PCDS 2030 target.
“But we must go further. If the state is high-income, the people must be high-income too,” he said.
