Tuesday, November 4, 2008

UPKO Youth regrets gas pipeline project still on






KOTA KINABALU: UPKO Youth has expressed regret over the recent announcement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi that the RM3 billion Petronas gas pipeline project between Kimanis, Sabah and Bintulu, Sarawak would go ahead.

"The stastement has coused us in UPKO Youth to lose our confidence in Pak Lah's leadership," said Youth Chief Arthur Sen yesterday.

"The Prime Minister announced to Sabah BN leader on May 31, 2008 that the project had been cancelled, but barely five months later he announced that it would go ahead," he said.

Arthur said such a stand clearly contradicted with Abdullah's integrity as the Prime Minister.

" Is this a legacy that Pak Lah wants to leave with the people of Sabah? It comes as no surprise therefore that he received a lot of criticism laterly even from UMNO itself," he said in a ststement.

Arthur said the agreement by the then State Government to accept only five percent royalty from the national petroleum company, Petronas, has been questioned by verious quarters in Sabah.

"We as the younfer generation in UPKO feel that a ministake was made by the previous State Government, and as it that in no enough, amajor pipeline system is now being installed in Sabah to cannel the gas from the State to aneighbourning State (Sarawak).

"We are unhappy because Sabah in on the losing end in terms of downstrem petroleum-based opportunities in the State. What are we going to tell our children in the future when they see the pipeline? he said.

Arthur said UPKO Youth would not compromise on its stand on this matterr and thus urged the Prime Minister to honour his promise by cancelling the project.

Abdullah said after opening the Parti Bersatu Sabah General Meeting here on Saturday that the petronas gas pipeline project is still on and would go ahead.

Meanwhile, UPKO Vice President Senator Maijol Mahap is also urging the Federal Government to reconsider proceeding with the gaspipeline project.

Maijol said Petronas should instead consider implementing some oil and gas developments in Sabah.

"We in UPKO would like the Goverment to reconsider its plans and feel that it is about time for Petronas to start a legacy in Sabah," he said and point our that even no-oil producing State like Melaka has Petronas-based developments.

He said Sabah in one of the biggest oil producing State in the country " and yet we don't hane anything to show. It as a far cry from what teranggganu and Sarawak have".

Maijol also said Sabah produces 11.6 tct of natural gas which is more the enough to supply a gas plant in the State and could be used to end the prsistent power supply problem in the State.

Petronas could instead use the RM1.5 billion allocated for the project to build an oil and gas plant in Sabah as well a gas pipeline from Kimanis to Tawau or Sandakan, he pointed out.

"Thefore, the State Government and the rakyat should make a stand on this," he said.

(Source: The Borneo Post - November 4 , 2008)

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