2008/05/14 New Straits Times...
Oil royalty to states stays at 5%
THE 5% royalty going to Sabah, Sarawak and Terengganu on oil and gas extracted by Petronas will not be reviewed.
This was because any increase in royalty to the states would eat into the 10 per cent royalty the government received from Petronas.
He was replying to a supplementary question from Alexander Nanta Linggi (BN-Kapit) on whether the federal government would look into increasing its royalty from 10 per cent to 20 per cent.
To another supplementary question from Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (PKR-Permatang Pauh), Amirsham said the formula involving royalty on oil and gas saw the government receiving 10 per cent, of which five per cent was given to the three states.
The Federal Government received RM13.4 billion, Terengganu (RM7.3 billion), Sabah (RM1.2 billion) and Sarawak (RM4.8 billion).
Amirsham said that based on current oil extraction methods, crude oil and oil condensates were expected to last 22 years while gas reserves would last 39 years.
"Even though there are many years for the reserve period (oil and gas) to expire, the fact is that the country also imports oil and gas to meet some local energy needs.
"Thus, the country is expected to be a net energy importer by 2014," Amirsham said.
To another question, Amirsham said oil production in Terengganu, Sabah and Sarawak for the financial year ending March 31, last year, stood at 241.3 million barrels of crude oil.
Gas production was 2,081.4 billion square feet, he added.
He said crude oil and gas products exported by the subsidiaries of Petronas were sold at current world prices whereas the price for domestic sale of gas-based products for the electrical and non-electrical sector was fixed by the government.
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The Sabah, Sarawak and Trengganu people are angry that the Federal Government is refusing to increase the oil royalty and some bloggers mentioned that Bruneians were lucky to opt out of Malaysia when it was formed in 1963.
Yes, we are forever grateful to our late and beloved Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin III for his wise decisions on not to join Malaysia, otherwise, we would be one of the top 3 poorest state in Malaysia... as what is happening in the 3 oil producing states in Malaysia now.
After the statement from the Minister, I wonder would any katak lompat to Pakatan Rakyat now since Anwar Ibrahim promised to increase the oil royalty to the oil producing states??? Interesting times in Malaysia now....
2 comments:
Thursday May 15, 2008
Sabah for Sabahans
COMMENT BY FUI K. SOONG
The disenfranchisement and the resentment in Sabah towards federal politics and policies are very real, realities created by the BN administration. The dynamics that are being witnessed today is just a situation ripe to play
SABAH for Sabahans” gained its zenith of popularity during the Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) rule in the state.
To a puritan federalist it is almost treasonable. But to many proud Sabahans who remember the 1980’s struggles, it was a term that gave rise to a generation of Sabahans whose political consciousness was awoken by a sense of identity that was multi-racial, open and most of all, confident. We stood tall because we had dared challenge the federal regime of the day.
With all the talk of Sabah MPs crossing over to Pakatan Rakyat, and if anyone believes this to be another wave of Sabah defiance, they are dead wrong.
Sabahans still stand in awe when we see the shape of Mount Kinabalu sitting in the blue hues of our state flag. And in reality, the mountain is an awesome sight by itself. “Sabah Maju Jaya” is still sung with great pride by every Sabahan with no exception to any race.
We should be so insulted to be painted as a bunch of shenanigans with no virtue, moral standing or principles.
The disenfranchisement and the resentment towards federal politics and policies thus far, are very real. But these are realities created by the BN rule. The dynamics that we witness today is just a situation ripe to play mind games with.
Sabahans have to live every day of their lives alongside reportedly, two million illegal immigrants compared to one million locals. Their children litter the streets in the cities begging for scraps and odd jobs, unable to attend school, as they have no official papers.
By the day, Kota Kinabalu is looking more like Manila than Malaysia. By any moral standard, how can we allow poverty and human suffering to come to this level – whether or not we choose to recognise them as full citizens is another matter.
Sabah ranked from being the richest state in 1970’s to being the poorest state. Using UNDP’s numbers, Sabah has a poverty rate of 23.0% compared to Wilayah Persekutuan-KL of 1.5%!
In the district of Nabawan, the poverty rate is as high as 70.8%, as 21,568 households live in hardcore poverty. The dropout rate is 50%, twice the national figure and most schools located in the rural areas are equipped with very poor facilities.
Children are so poor that they do not even have soap to clean themselves with. Children attend classes naked because parents sell their free uniforms to feed their families.
In the Ninth Malaysia Plan, the total allocation for Sabah makes up 7.69% compared with 15.06% for the Federal Territories.
These are just hard numbers.
Sabah won 24 out of 25 seats contested. However, it’s still only 25 seats out of the 140 seats garnered by the BN. The lack of representation at ministerial level in truth is limited when both the states combined only represent 1.7 million out of the 10.9 million registered voters.
While Sabah and Sarawak may have held a crucial deciding factor to retain BN’s simple majority in this elections, many of the seats were won due to lack of cohesion among the Opposition parties. The extent of gerrymandering also contributed to no small amount to BN’s wins in the state.
Is this why Sabah representatives often complain that they are not treated with respect in all the political platforms from the Cabinet to grassroots, including those within their parties?
Today, both sides of the political fence paint Anwar Ibrahim in the same breath as how we saw Pairin Kitingan or PBS in the 80’s.
To begin with, Anwar Ibrahim is no Sabahan. In the 90’s, he was Finance Minister and PM-in-waiting “hero-rised” as a leader with international stature but in small-town Sabah, the people saw him as no more than an errand boy for Tun Dr Mahathir.
That said, has there been a credible Sabah leader that has been able to articulate our pain and concerns?
Is it really about more representation in the Cabinet and more royalties? Younger generations of Sabahans, unlike previous decades, are less likely to be anti-Federal.
Many of them have studied in Peninsular Malaysia in both private and public colleges and universities. They know what is like to live in a greater Malaysia beyond their Sabah shores.
Most also know that the 20-point agreement (signed when Sabah joined Malaysia) cannot be practically implemented if we are to finally come to terms with being part of Malaysia.
But what does it mean to be a Sabahan when two-thirds of the population are illegals? If the BN government does not want the situation to be hijacked by the Opposition, this is the first thing it must address – bring back what matters most to Sabah, our land.
The illegal migrant situation has become so bad that we already have a second, if not third generation of Filipinos and Indonesians born in Sabah.
In the name of humanity, I am not sure if we can even morally deport them without causing social mayhem and a localised economic collapse. But we need a definite closure because we need to move on.
“Sabah for Sabahans” conjures a lot of idealism as well as realities for many Sabahans even today but it does not mean we are less proud of who we are and what we still stand for. RESPECT and DIGNITY.
Whoever captures that, gets to rule.
Fui K. Soong is CEO of Institute of Strategic Analysis and Policy Research (INSAP), a think tank of MCA, an organisation dedicated to research on the removal of barriers and bias in policies that impede Malaysian unity, racial harmony and economic prosperity. You can e-mail her at fui4545@yahoo.com.
The Star
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Hiya, just get out of the Federation lah... both Sabah and Sarawak and by standing alone, those West Malaysian can feel how difficult it is without both of these countries revenues!
2008/05/15
Those who bait others are 'political prostitutes'
KUALA LUMPUR: Sabah Umno deputy chief Datuk Mohd Shafie Apdal has come out strongly to condemn political crossovers as immoral.
"Crossing over is not impossible. But what (Datuk Seri) Anwar Ibrahim is doing is immoral.
"It's the basic fundamental of democracy - the people's right to chose - that he's trying to wipe out. People have given their mandate.
"We don't buy over their people. We can afford to, but we don't," Shafie said.
Shafie's condemnation was echoed by Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek who slammed politicians who tried to persuade members of opposing parties to switch sides, labelling them as "political prostitutes".
"It is the peak of immorality and is similar to prostitution. Leaders who try to plead for crossovers are political prostitutes," he said after visiting New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad at Balai Berita yesterday.
Shabery said only those who were addicted to prostitution would use such methods to achieve political satisfaction.
He said he had heard the views of party members, including those from Sabah.
"Nobody said they wanted to jump parties."
He said Sabah MPs had issues they wanted to bring up in Parliament.
"Although their views have a certain sting, they were well received by other members and the government will pay attention," he said.
"Just because they have a strong stand on certain issues, it does not mean they are going to leave the party," said Shabery.
He agreed. "They (Sabah MPs) are raising concerns of the people on the ground.
"You can't conclude that they want to cross over just because they raise them.
"But I won't say that they won't (cross over). But my advice is they should not do that.
"How can we be sure that it will be a better world if we jump over? Is there any guarantee we'll be treated better just by promising us 20 per cent oil royalty?"
When asked about promises made by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) to provide water and electricity supplies besides increasing development in Sabah, Shafie said: "When Anwar held the position of deputy prime minister and finance minister, he gave the same promises but failed to deliver or improve the situation in Balung or my constituency."
Shafie said BN members had pride and were not "cheap politicians".
"Our leaders are not swayed by money or status."
On rumours of offers of up to RM30 million being offered for BN reps to cross over, Shafie said: "That is immoral on the part of the person offering it and on the part of whoever has the intention of accepting it.
"It means they are looking at RM30 million and not the people's needs. That is not worthy of a person who was elected.
"If an MP no longer believes in the party he or she stood for, then switch parties in the next election but don't hop because someone is paying you to.
"Not being responsible in this case amounts to treachery."
On whether he could vouch for the loyalty of Umno MPs in Sabah, Shafie said: "So far, I believe in them, unless they're lying.
On the strong statements by Sabah MPs about crossovers, including that there was "no harm" in doing so, Shafie maintained that they were only raising concerns of the people on the ground.
Asked to comment on Kimanis MP Datuk Anifah Aman's comments that there was no harm in crossing over, and Datuk Seri Ghapur Salleh's warning of the tsunami hitting Sabah next, he said: "It's not a question of betrayal but a question of the trust the people have given you.
"When I stood as a BN candidate, I convinced voters that BN is the right platform to fight for development, and the people voted for it.
"Voters believed that BN can deliver, but when what is promised is not delivered... It's just a reflection of sentiments on the ground."
On Sabah Progressive Party president Datuk Yong Teck Lee's statement that something must be done before September or BN faced the risk of crossovers, he said this reflected the views from the ground.
"Come to Sabah and listen to the ordinary folk. They're asking for more development."
Questioned why the talk revolved around crossovers if the complaints were about development, Shafie said: "Because Anwar is the one raising it, the one trying to woo BN MPs over."
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When politicians jumped to UMNO, its considered good and wise decisions on the politician part and yet when jumped to Opposition part, then its "Political Prostitute"???
Too much lah these people.. UMNO raped both Sabah and Sarawak and these blind Sabahan cant even see... How much did UMNO pay for a night with u!!! eh emosi pulak...
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