Projek gas Kimanis-Bintulu bawa kesan berganda untuk rakyat dan ekonomi Sabah

KOTA KINABALU: Pemilikan, kuasa dan hak-hak meneroka, mengguna dan memperolehi sumber petroleum di Malaysia adalah dalam bidang kuasa Petronas secara eksklusif di bawah Akta Pembangunan Petroleum, 1974.

Menteri Di Jabatan Ketua Menteri, Datuk Nasir Tun Sakaran berkata, walau bagaimanapun Kerajaan Persekutuan telah memberi jaminan bahawa projek Sabah Oiland Gas Terminal (SOGT) tidak akan menjejaskan bekalan minyak dan gas untuk keperluan dalam negeri ini, serta pembayaran royalti ke atas minyak dan gas yang dihantar ke Bintulu, Sarawak.

“Projek Sabah- Sarawak Gas Pipline (SSGP) merupakan salah satu komponen Projek Bersepa-du Minyak dan Gas yang sedang dijalankan oleh Petronas di negeri ini,” katanya ketika menggulung perbahasan Bajet Negeri 2009 bagi Jabatan Ketua Menteri di Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) kelmarin.

Semasa sesi perbahasan Bajet Negeri 2009, Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) Luyang, Melanie Chia Chui Ket menggesa kerajaan membatalkan projek penyaluran gas Petronas dari Kimanis ke Bintulu.

Nasir berkata, projek bersepadu itu melibatkan pembangunan medan-medan minyak dan gas yang baru ditemui di luar pantai Sabah, pembinaan SOGT di Kimanis dan pembinaan SSGP dari Kimanis ke Kompleks LNG Petrnoas di Bintulu, Sarawak.

Beliau berkata, melalui projek SOGT itu, sumber gas yang dikeluarkan daripada luar pantai Sabah akan didaratkan di SOGT, Kimanis.

“Sebahagian daripada gas yang dikeluarkan akan dibekalkan untuk kegunaan sektor-sektor tenaga dan perindustrian di Sabah dan selebihnya akan disalurkan ke Kompleks LNG Petronas di Bintulu, Sarawak melalui SSGP,” katanya.

Menurutnya, projek-projek yang dijalan-kan Petronas di Sabah pada masa ini telah dan akan membawa banyak kesan penggandaan (multiplier effect) kepada rakyat dan pertubuhan ekonomi negeri Sabah.

Antaranya pertumbuhan kawasan-kawa-san bandar dan pusat-pusat perindustrian baru, peluang-peluang perniagaan dan pekerjaan serta pembangunan modal insan bagi menyo-kong industri berasaskan minyak dan gas di Sabah.

“Kerajaan negeri menyedari bahawa industri hiliran berasaskan minyak dan gas wajar diwujudkan di Sabah seperti termaktub dalam Pelan Induk Perindustrian Sabah (SIAP) dan telah mengambil inisiatif serta langkah-langkah sewajarnya,” katanya.

Katanya, Kerajaan Negeri melalui Unit Peran-cang Ekonomi Negeri (UPEN) juga telah menu-buhkan satu jawatnkuasa sementara yang dianggotai oleh Pejabat Pegum Besar Negeri, Pejabat Setiausaha Hasil Bumi, Kementerian Kewangan, Kementerian Pembangunan Perindustrian, Jabatan Pembangunan Perindustrian dan Penyelidikan dan Perbadanan Tenaga Sabah bagi merangka strategi dan langkah-langkah bersepadu untuk membangunkan industri hiliran minyak dan gas di Sabah.

Menurutnya, pada 1 Januari tahun ini, rezab gas di luar pantai Sabah adalah berjumlah 12.7 trilion kaki padu atau (kira-kira 14 peratus daripada jumlah rezab gas Malaysia).

“Medan-medan gas yang terdapat di luar pantai Sabah adalah kecil dan berselerak, tidak seperti medan-medan gas di luar pantai Semenanjung Malaysia dan Sarawak,”katanya.

Oleh yang demikian katanya, pembangunan rezab gas di luar pantai Sabah perlu dijalankan secara berkelompok dan ini melibatkan kos yang tinggi.

Katannya, kos pelaburan pembangunan loji minyak, gas dan petrokimia pada masa ini adalah terlalu tinggi berikutan peningkatan harga pasaran bahan-bahan binaan dan peralatan.

Walau bagaimanapun katanya, sebahagian daripada gas yang bakal didaratkan telah diperuntukkan untuk kegunaan sektor tenaga dan perin-dustrian di negeri ini.

“Petronas dan Yayasan Sabah telah mengadakan usaha sama bagi pembangunan sebuah Loji Janakuasa Elektrik dengan kapasiti sebanyak 300MW di Kimanis,” katanya..

Pembinaan loji itu dijangka akan memperkukuh lagi sektor tenaga di Sabah dan menjadi pemangkin kepada pembangunan industri-industri lain di Sabah.

21st November, 2008 - New Sabah Times

Tindakan k’jaan keluarkan KP hijau tidak harus disalahtafsir, kata Ghapur

TAWAU: Tindakan kerajaan yang memutuskan untuk mengeluarkan semula kad pengenalan hijau bermula 15 November 2008 lepas, tidak seharusnya disalah-tafsirkan oleh mana-mana pihak kerana dokumen terbabit hanya dikeluarkan kepada mereka yang layak dan setelah tapisan dibuat.

Ahli Parlimen Kalabakan, Datuk Ab-dul Ghapur Haji Salleh, berkata tindakan itu juga adalah bersesuaian dengan tuntutan beberapa pemimpin termasuk beliau sebelum ini, yang meminta kerajaan me-nyelesaikan masalah mereka yang tidak mempunyai status warganegara.

Justeru yang demikian ujarnya, beliau berharap tindakan terbaru kerajaan itu tidak dijadikan satu isu negatif, apatah lagi dijadikan sebagai isu perkauman.

“Kita harus sedar, JPN (Jabatan Pen-daftaran Negara) bukanlah pasar. Kad hijau ini cuma dikeluarkan kepada mereka yang benar-benar layak sahaja. Saya pun tidak mahu kalau ada yang tidak layak, mendapat kad ini,” tegas beliau.

Dalam hal berlainan, beliau menjelaskan bahawa dari segi rasionalnya, pemberian kad itu secara tidak langsung jga dapat menyelesaikan masalah identiti mereka yang terlibat, sekaligus memudahkan pihak berkuasa untuk mengesan mereka sekiranya berlaku sesuatu yang tidak diingini.

Beliau berkata demikian ketika ditemubual selepas mengadakan pertemuan dengan Pengerusi dan beberapa ahli Persatuan Hakka Tawau dan Badan Perhubungan Ketua Masyarakat Cina Tawau, di pejabatnya di Bangunan Umno di sini, kelmarin.

Menyentuh hal berlainan, Ghapur memberitahu yang pihaknya amat mengalu-alukan pihak pentadbiran sekolah-sekolah Cina dan tokong di kawasannya, untuk mengemukakan sebarang masalah atau apa-apa perkara yang diperlukan oleh mereka.

Sebagai pemimpin di kawasan terbabit jelasnya, beliau akan berusaha memberikan bantuan yang sewajarnya termasuklah dari segi peruntukan ataupun dengan mengemukakan permasalahan yang mereka hadapi kepada pihak kerajaan.

“Kita mengamalkan sikap terbuka dan akan terus berkhidmat kepada seluruh masyarakat tanpa mengira kaum atau la-tar-belakang. Kita juga kini sedang me-rangka satu sesi dialog dengan sekolah-sekolah Cina, bagi melihat keperluan dan mendengar permasalahan yang mereka hadapi,” katanya lagi.

Pada majlis itu, Ghapur turut me-nyampaikan cek sumbangan beliau sebagai Ahli Parlimen bernilai RM10,000 ke-pada Pengerusi Persatuan Hakka Tawau, Datuk Lim Yen Ngiap dan RM5,000 ke-pada Pengerusi Badan Perhubungan Ketua Masyarakat Cina Tawau, Yap Kin Vun.

Hadir sama pada majlis ringkas itu ialah Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) Sebatik, Haji Abdul Muis Haji Picho; Adun Merotai, Pang Yuk Ming dan Adun Tanjung Batu, Datuk Hajah Hamisa Samad.

23rd November, 2008 - New Sabah Times

Upko: Green MyKad a new stress on the people

Kota Kinabalu: The re-issuance of the green MyKad to "stateless" people in Sabah is putting new stress on local people in the State, said Upko Youth chief Arthur Sen.

"We in Upko Youth are questioning the rationale behind the National Registration Department's decision to reactivate the issuance of the green MyKad, which had been frozen since 2004," he said.

He claimed the exercise will only benefit foreigners who were born in Sabah and who had been issued birth certificates without citizenship.

According to information received, he said the green MyKad is only valid for five years and asked what will happen to the temporary citizenship status of these green MyKad holders and their children after that period was over.

"There is a big possibility that these green MyKad holders will one day become permanent residents and then qualify themselves or their subsequent generation to obtain the blue MyKad as citizens É in the long run it would change the population demography of Sabah," he said.

This must be prevented from now by stopping the NRD exercise, he stressed. "Another negative effect will be that the green MyKad holders will compete against the genuine locals in economic activities É this is already happening now, and what more when they already get the green MyKad," he said.

Also in terms of access to public facilities, he said the local people will also be forced to compete with the immigrants like for medical treatment and wards at the public hospitals, recreational parks and so on.

"All these are saddening. Government agencies like the NRD need to be more attentive to the feelings and political sentiments of the genuine locals in Sabah," he said.

22 November, 2008- Daily Express

Oil royalty: SAPP not giving up

Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) is not giving up its struggle for more oil royalty payment for Sabah even though the State Government stated it is not pursuing the matter since the Petroleum Development Agreement is not revisable.

"This is not the end of the story, we will continue to fight for it," said President Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee commenting on Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman's explanation during the recent Budget sitting that there is no provision in the agreement to review the five per cent oil royalty.

SAPP Luyang Assemblywoman, Melanie Chia and Sepanggar MP Datuk Eric Majimbun, had both raised the issue at the State Assembly and Parliament, respectively.

"Even the country's Constitution can be amended (so) why can't it be the same for the Petroleum Development Agreement?," said Yong, adding that even if it is stated that the agreement is not revisable, it is not final so long as both the Federal and State governments mutually agree to review.

"We will not be surprised if Kuala Lumpur declines to review because they are taking our resources but it is a surprise that our State Government is also reluctant to call for the review," he said.

Speaking to reporters after the soft opening of the SAPP Putatan Maju Centre near here, Saturday, Yong asked if it was wrong for Sabah and Sarawak to request for a revision on such a lop-sided agreement.

According to him, Parti Keadilan Rakyat de-facto leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim also shared similar sentiment on this issue with SAPP.

"This morning (Saturday) we (SAPP leaders) had breakfast with him, to get to know each other and discuss several issues like the economic situation and the review of the petroleum agreement.

"Anwar's stand and (that of the) SAPP is the same on this issue," he said.

Asked if there was any official invitation from Pakatan Rakyat for SAPP to join them, he said there was none.

"But the components in the Pakatan Rakyat understand our position," he said, adding that SAPP is also not answerable to Pakatan Rakyat, especially in the context of its eight-point agenda, one of which is State autonomy.

"The question of whether Pakatan Rakyat agrees with SAPP or not, is not the issue because that is what we call State autonomy.

"We don't have to get permission from anyone outside Sabah to get autonomy," he said, when asked if he had spoken to Anwar about State autonomy.

Nonetheless, SAPP would be constructive and innovative in its relationship with PKR without compromising its autonomy, he said.

"Whether we will be opposing or supporting each other (in the election) our basis is in the eight-point agenda and one of them is State autonomy. So we cannot do anything that compromises our autonomy."

Earlier, Yong said the opening of the SAPP Putatan Centre at the former Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) headquarters in Putatan Square is a symbolic start for SAPP's struggle.

"I feel proud that SAPP now has gained a foothold in Putatan. As the first step to fight for the rights of Sabah we take over the State BN's office. Our re-branding process that started in October is beginning to show results.

"This is just the beginning (and) there are more great things to come," he said.

He added that so far the party had lost less than 200 members, including one in Tanjung Papat when Datuk Raymond Tan submitted his official resignation letter, but in the past few weeks SAPP had gained more than 1,200 new members.

He also disclosed that SAPP had approved the membership of academician and columnist, Haji Amde Sidek, who is also in the party's think-tank board.

Yong also commended the new members in Putatan led by Dullie Haji Marie, the former Political Secretary to then Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia, for joining the party.

"It is very rare that a ruling coalition party component will leave the government of the day and fight for the opposition. It is even rarer that new members join this party knowing very well that the next elections is still a long way to go," he said.

Later, Yong together with SAPP Supreme Council members witnessed the planting of the SAPP flag at the centre by party adviser, Datuk Haji Murshidi Nambi. He also received 612 membership applications from the 10 SAPP branches in Putatan.

23 November 2008 - Daily Express

Thousands register for green MyKad

18 November, 2008- Daily Express

Kota Kinabalu: Thousands of "stateless" people thronged the National Registration Department (NRD) offices at the Federal administration building here and in Tawau, Monday, after the Department announced it will start re-issuing the green MyKad.

In Tawau, the number was estimated at several thousand. Police also had to be called in for crowd control.

Applicants started lining up as early as 8am, forcing the NRD to set up desks, acting as temporary centres, outside its office to handle the large crowd showing up.

Its Public Relations Officer, Jainisah Mohd Noor, said the exercise which started last Saturday nationwide, is strictly for those with Malaysian birth certificates and existing green MyKad holders.

"They must be born in Malaysia. (Usually) in their birth certificates, there is no information about the parents or details about the parents' nationality or documentation status.

"But that does not mean green MyKad holders (or those obtaining it) have been granted citizenship statusÉthey are only temporary residents, not Malaysians," she said, in a telephone interview from Kuala Lumpur.

Like other NRD offices nationwide, she pointed out the office here only receives applications but whether they are granted was up to their headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

"The approval process is done on-line and centralised," Jainisah said to a question on foreigners or illegal immigrants trying to pull a fast one on NRD.

"We will not issue such documents to just anyone or foreigners."

She said the card is a form of documentation to the holders to show they are stateless but registered with the NRD and to make it easier for these people to carry out personal transactions involving money and such.

Meanwhile, NRD staff had to block access to the applicants into their main office, allowing only customers with other registration transactions in, to avoid congestion while at one point the police had to be called in.

Several green MyKad applicants insisted on entering the office despite being told the counters were already fixed outside.

An applicant, Jaratilluah Abrudasis said she had been waiting since 8am for her number, adding she had also come last Saturday but there were too many people.

"I've tried applying for citizenship status before but failed," said the 35-year-old whose parents were from the Philippines.

She claimed she was born in Sabah when her parents arrived in Kudat in 1972 and has been in the district ever since.

"I don't have any information about my parents but I have this Malaysian birth certificate with me so hopefully I can get the green IC," she said.

Filipino labourer, Siti bin Pirisini, 46, was one of those trying to obtain the card for his sons, aged 15 and 14, who were detained by police previously, claiming they were also born in Sabah.

"My sons were born in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital," he claimed, before adding, "but the authorities suspected my sons' birth certificates as being dubious."

"They said they had never seen such documents because they are different from the normal (local) ones. So I hope to get the green ICs so they will not run into trouble in future," he said.

In TAWAU, more than a thousand people gathered as early as 6am to be first in line to apply for the green MyKad at the National Registration Department (NRD) office here, Monday.

A NRD officer, who declined to be named, said they could not process any application because the people who gathered refused to follow their turns despite the staff warning no one would be entertained if the matter persists.

In light of this, the NRD has set this coming Saturday and Sunday to issue turn numbers to the applicants, the officer said, adding about 5,000 numbers would be given out.

Green MyKad move queried

Kota Kinabalu: Both Sabah Barisan Nasional and opposition leaders Tuesday questioned the current registration of "stateless people" at National Registration Department offices statewide that would enable them to obtain the green MyKad.

They feared that the document would end up not in the hands of "stateless" locals in the interior but to foreigners who may be armed with birth certs issued by hospitals in Sabah.

They said the Federal Government's decision to issue the green MyKad should have been explained fully to the people before the NRD went ahead.

Already IMM13 holders and illegal immigrants with children born in the State are treating it as an opportunity to make their presence in the State easier and trouble free, said Moyog Assemblyman, Donald Mojuntin.

"We can gauge this by their numbers congesting the NRD offices here and in Tawau," he said on the sidelines of the State Budget sitting, Tuesday.

The Daily Express reported that thousands of "stateless" people had thronged the NRD offices at both places, some as early as 6am, since the weekend after the department announced it will start re-issuing the green MyKad.

It is understood that holders of the Green MyKad are allowed to work without requiring a permit and the card is valid for five years. If they are found to be involved in criminal activities during this period, the document would be revoked. A birth certificate is necessary for the registration.

"I would have thought the ultimate purpose of the issuance of the green MyKad is to ease the problem of genuine Malaysians who have trouble getting their citizenship due to the fact that their parents did not register their birth. This is due to many factors such as geographical and lack of knowledge on the need for such an important document. I believe this problem is prevalent in Sabah, especially in areas like Sindumin, Paitan and Pensiangan," said Donald, who is also State Assistant Minister of Resource Development and Information Technology.

He said even in Penampang, which can be regarded as a suburban area, he had received, in his capacity as Chairman of the Upko Citizenship and Security Bureau, a number of cases involving "anak watan" (native) Sabah who have no birth certificate and, therefore, not citizens of Malaysia.

This birth certificate problem is real and needs a focused effort to sort out, he said, adding the issuance of the green MyKad should be prioritised to locals without birth certificates who are waiting for their late registration of birth to be approved and, subsequently, would be waiting for their citizenship application to be considered.

"What we don't want is this exercise further aggravating the perception among the genuine Sabah populace that it is easier for illegals to obtain identity documents than for locals to do so," he said.

19 November, 2008 - Daily Express

Petronas explains

16 November, 2008 - Daily Express

Kuala Lumpur: The plan to set up a petrochemical industry in Sabah was not an afterthought or sudden but the result of a detailed study since 2006 and one in which the State Government was fully involved.

Stressing this in an exclusive interview, Petronas President-cum-Chief Executive Officer Tan Sri Mohd Hassan Marican said making public the plans beforehand would have alerted competitors and placed Malaysia at a disadvantage.

"This (petrochemical plant project) is not new and has been ongoing.

"People always criticise Petronas. They say we keep things quiet. But in this industry this is how we do it," he said, to suggestions by certain quarters that the State Government was not seen as playing an active part.

"We have been very quiet about this also because we don't want speculation about tanah (land), etc. Together with (Chief Minister) Datuk Seri Musa, we even discussed it with the national leaders, both the Number One and Number Two," he said.

"The first discussion I had with the State Government was in 2006 where the whole concept was discussed. At that discussion we also said we will embark on a master plan for downstream gas industries, which will include petrochemicals."

Marican also said some Sabah leaders who have been agitating for the gas to be landed wholly in Kimanis and for a new Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plant to be built would be disappointed to learn that the gas deposits off Sabah are the lowest in the nation, only 10-12 trillion cubic feet.

He said besides being small, Sabah's gas deposits are also scattered which makes it expensive to develop, unlike Sarawak's and peninsula's huge 45 trillion cu ft and 39 trillion cu ft, respectively.

"This (setting up a LNG plant in Sabah) was considered but found not viable. In the end, if you look at in the national context, we will be wasting resources because we already have a (LNG) complex in Bintulu."

The Bintulu complex is the world's largest LNG Complex producing 23 million tonnes of liquefied gas per year.

The Bintulu plant took 30 years to develop while Kertih 25 years, he said.

Kertih's overall investment alone was RM70 billion.

Marican said the cost of building a LNG plant today was not cheap, about US1,200 per tonne. The third plant in Bintulu which was completed in 2002 cost US200 per tonne to set up.

Then there is the question of infrastructure which is huge as otherwise the world class companies won't be interested to come. "All the facilities we have built are world scale capacities because this is a global business," he said. Marican said in this industry, the ability to bring in big players is crucial and they are not interested in deposits that won't be able to sustain production for a minimum of 20 years, which is the industry's benchmark.

Hence, the only practical approach to developing the gas was to send some to Bintulu and use the rest to support downstream gases at the planned petrochemical plant in Kimanis. He said the development of Sabah's offshore gas will be undertaken in two clusters, which would gather the gas from the various reservoirs before being piped to Kimanis.

He said oil that would be extracted from the Gumusut field would also be landed in Kimanis prior to export, which is why the whole set-up has been labelled as the Sabah Oil and Gas Terminal (SOGT).

Besides, if the gas is to be commercially viable, there would have to be a Base Load. "Only when you have this Base Load can downstream gas industries proceed."

He believed part of the misunderstanding over the issue could be due to politicians and others oversimplifying the matter as just "petrochemicals" without knowing that the gas would have to be broken down to four parts - Methane, Ethane, Propane and Butane - before their appropriate industrial use.

He said the other misperception is that the gas all belongs to Petronas, when in fact it belongs to the Production Sharing Contractors (PSCs), including Petronas, and who will only develop them if there are economic returns.

Nevertheless, Marican said that Sabah stands to gain quite a substantial amount from gas royalty.

"But if we don't go ahead and develop this, there'll be no royalty," he said.

On another issue, Marican noted that some quarters had placed high expectations on the oil and gas industry as "a provider of employment".

"This is not correct. The industry is one of highly skilled, highly technical but small in number (once the construction stage is over and the operational stage begins)."

Marican declined to comment when asked if the State Government should then seek a better deal from the gas through a separate higher gas royalty.

On the contention by some Sabah politicians that the gas belongs to Sabah, he said "it is a national resource" and should not be looked at from a parochial point of view.

Instead, he said the focus should be on how Sabahans can gain from the supporting industries.

He said there would be ample opportunities in the supporting industries and cited the Sarawak service providers who have been very focussed, been able to look at the long term and even export their services.

He said Petronas had elaborated on the many opportunities in this regard in its dialogues with the various trade chambers.

"If the expectation is for all these things to happen overnight, I'm sorry it will not and cannot," he said.

As for the 300MW combined cycle gas plant, Marican said this would be ready by the time the gas is landed on Kimanis in 2011. There is a joint committee involving the State Secretary to monitor the developments.