KUCHING: There is no two ways about it, Sarawak remains within Malaysia says Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
Refuting claims that Sarawak is looking to position itself as a country within another country, the Premier said Sarawak is simply looking to drive Malaysia’s economy.
“Our anthem is very clear that Sarawak is within Malaysia. My view is that if our economy is strong, it will strengthen Malaysia.
“Sarawak has the resources and that is our strength, and we must add value to our resources. The private sector is the key driver of the economy and when it is strong, the taxes are not collected by Sarawak (but Putrajaya).
“If the economy is private sector driven, the one who benefits is the federal government. The taxes go to the federal government, what Sarawak gets is the creation of jobs,” he said.
He said this when speaking to Khairy Jamaluddin and Shahril Hamdan, co-hosts of the Keluar Sekejap podcast which aired on Monday (July 22).
Abang Johari recalled the time when he formed state oil and gas company Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (PETROS), a move that was questioned by the federal government.
“At the time, the prime minister was Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who told me he was asked by PETRONAS’ top management over the creation of PETROS.
“I said to him, ‘is it wrong for me to form a company under the Companies Act? Is it wrong’?
“Najib said ‘OK, OK’. Then we just work together. PETROS is just a company owned by the state to serve the people in the industry including PETRONAS,” he said.
The Premier also assured that PETROS is not looking to compete with PETRONAS and is merely looking to participate in Sarawak’s oil and gas sector.
“This is based on our constitutional rights,” he said.
