Juanda proposes O&G revenue for rural devt

DATUK Dr Juanda Jaya ( PBBJemoreng) suggests that a special fund for rural development be created from the revenue of oil and gas with the enforcement of the Oil Mining Ordinance (OMO).

He said this has been done in other countries where their oil and gas revenues were put into a sovereign fund to speed up the development of rural areas.

“Sarawak still needs a lot of fast development especially in rural areas. We don’t want a city like Kuching to have 4G internet but not rural areas like Matu and others,” he told a press conference after participating in the debate on the Oil Mining (Amendment) Bill 2018 at the State Legislative Assembly ( DUN) yesterday.

With the new federal government and a new Malaysia that is more open and fair with greater freedom of speech, Juanda said Sarawak is more bold and daring in demanding the return of its rights.

“I hope the federal government will not misunderstand because Sarawak never thinks about offending anyone or to quarrel with Petronas or deny the rights of Petronas and such.

“However, as the ‘ landlord’, certainly when people enter our ‘ farm’, they must obtain permission and (it is) impossible ( for them) to leave our ‘ farm’ bringing (out) resources without

I hope the federal government will not misunderstand because Sarawak never thinks about offending anyone or to quarrel with Petronas or deny the rights of Petronas and such. Datuk Dr Juanda Jaya, Jemoreng assemblyman

‘looking’ or ‘greeting’ us.

“We are the owner of this land and must be treated fairly,” he stressed.

Aidel Lariwoo ( PBB- Sadong Jaya) had earlier urged the Sarawak government to clearly spell out the definition of the term ‘structures’ in the amendment of the Oil Mining (Amendment) Bill 2018.

“In the new Section 3A, Clause 4 is seeking to make provision on restriction against building, er e c t i n g , maintaining or decommissioning of any mining structures.

“I want to seek clarification on the term ‘structures’ in the oil mining industries, because structures in oil and gas field should entail both ‘ fixed’ and ‘floating’ structures as this is the nature of oil and gas exploration,” he said during the debate on the Bill.

Citing the f loating LNG in Bintulu as an example, Aidel pointed out that it was good to add other mode of structures in the amendment considering that technology in the oil and gas industry is fast developing.

“I view the importance of this OMO amendment as an instrument to regulate the oil and gas resources in Sarawak and I strongly believe this OMO defines the ownership of oil and gas to Sarawak,” he said in support of the Bill.

In a press conference, he reminded that Sarawak has the second largest gas reserves in the world after Qatar, which was once one of the poorest countries in the world before it discovered and developed its gas fields.

“Sarawak can become rich if we enforce the OMO,” he said.