No land acquired for Sabah gas pipeline project – Lim

KUALA LUMPUR: Suria Strategy Energy Resources Sdn Bhd (SSER) has failed to secure any rights from Petronas as required by law to lay the pipes for Multi-Product Pipeline (MPP), Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng revealed yesterday.

He said the company also failed to acquire the necessary land in Sabah to do the same for Trans-Sabah Gas Pipeline (TSGP).

“Despite such shocking revelations, (ex-Prime Minister) Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak still claims that all the necessary processes, procedures and laws had been complied with in relation to the signing of these two pipeline projects,” he said in a statement here, yesterday.

To this end, Lim said the Ministry of Finance (MoF) had filed a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

“A MACC raid has been carried out at the offices of SSER. The Finance Ministry has taken control over SSER’s offices. All of its employees have been placed on ‘garden leave’ until further notice,” he said.

SSER President, Datuk Mohammed Azhar Osman Khairuddin, has also been removed as a Director of the company and the ministry is in the process of appointing an Executive Committee (Exco) led by an accounting firm to operate the company and investigate the transactions made by SSER.

To recap, the MPP involves a 600km multi-product petroleum pipeline connecting Melaka and Port Dickson to Jitra, costing RM5.35 billion. The TSGP involves building a 662km gas pipeline from Kimanis Gas Terminal to Sandakan and Tawau, costing RM4.06 billion.

“The Pakatan Harapan Federal government would like to assure Malaysians that all necessary measures shall be taken to uncover the truth. We will take any required action against any party responsible to protect taxpayers’ interests,” he added.