SARAWAK should move ahead with developing natural gas reserves off western Sarawak in the absence of concrete plans from Petroliam Nasional Bhd (PETRONAS).
Tamin state assemblyman, Christopher Gira Sambang, said Petroleum Sarawak Bhd (PETROS) could lead the effort by leveraging carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies to produce cleaner gas and support new strategic developments planned for the Kuching region.
He said the proposed Kuching Low Carbon Gas Hub would complement major infrastructure announced by the Premier in the 2026 State Budget, including the new international airport and deep seaport at Tanjung Embang.
“I hope PETRONAS will work closely with the state government and PETROS to grow our oil and gas sector in the national interest and in the interests of Sarawak, where most of Malaysia’s gas reserves are located,” he said.
He said this when debating the Supply (2026) Bill, 2025 at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting today.
Earlier, Gira commended the state government for securing greater gas resources by appointing PETROS as Sarawak’s sole gas aggregator and launching the Sarawak Gas Roadmap.
“These initiatives have enabled the development of extensive gas distribution infrastructure, including the Bintulu-Samalaju pipeline and the virtual pipeline delivering gas to the Kuching region,” he said.
He added that such projects would spur economic growth and enhance Sarawak’s revenue from oil and gas.
On the same note, Gira also praised the provision of free piped gas for domestic use in Taman Ceria, Miri, and Sungai Plan, Bintulu.
As such, he called for the initiative to be expanded to other areas, including his own constituency.
