The Borneo Post (Sabah)

Abg Johari envisions Sarawak as power hub

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KOTA SAMARAHAN: Sarawak aspires to emerge as the power hub in the Borneo region.

Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said the state could be the supplier of power in the whole of Borneo following the take-over of Bakun hydroelect­ric plant from Putrajaya.

“Now we are selling our power to Kalimantan and Kalimantan has to upgrade the grid. We can export our power and at the same time we must have the technology to produce solar power,” he said at the National Transforma­tion 2050 (TN50) Dialogue at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak here yesterday.

Abang Johari suggested Sarawakian­s amend the design of their roofs with panels to absorb sunlight to be converted into power for domestic use.

“I’m not saying this for fun because the technology is there. I tell you, I’ve been to Germany and there is energy run by water. Sarawak can be transforme­d into a real power hub. We got our own aspiration­s.

“I was the minister in-charge of industrial developmen­t in 1987 when someone told me ‘Your resources (oil and gas) can last for only 22 years’.

“Now, we still have a lot of oil and gas. I think that time, they did not drill deep enough and now they drill further.”

He said Sarawak had been asking Federal for an increase of oil and gas royalties from the current five per cent to 20 per cent.

Abang Johari added that not only did the state want the 20 per cent oil and gas royalties but “we also want a new method of getting our oil and gas”.

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