Petrochemical Plant- Sabah State Cabinet Agrees

It is interesting to note that after the Minister of the PM Department Bernard Dompok voiced out his discontentment about the pipeline project at the Federal Cabinet Meeting and achieved (in spite of Jeffery Kitingan's claim) the Federal Cabinet's agreement in setting up a full-fledge petrochemical plant in Sabah , everybody wants a piece of the action. Who can blame them?

Though I am quite surprise that the entire Sabah State Cabinet sat down when Dompok stood up, alone, to voice out against Pak Lah's reversal in his decision of scrapping to Federal Cabinet. 

And because of one man's courage, everybody is suddenly speaking up!

If you can't call Bernard Dompok a true Sabahan leader then I don't know what else there is to say...

In line with Sabah's wishes: CM Kota Kinabalu: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman hailed the decision of the Federal Government to set up a petrochemical industry in the State, saying it augurs well for the Sabah Development Corridor plan. "We are happy that the Federal Government has taken into account the views and interests of the people of Sabah by coming up with a plan that meets our aspirations as well," he said, Saturday. He said the Sabah Cabinet had also been pursuing other downstream oil and gas related activities. A study on the viability of these projects was actually supposed to have been completed by December. "But the fact that the Federal Cabinet had speeded up on making a decision showed that it is responsive to the wishes of Sabah," he said. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Yahya Hussin welcomed the Federal Cabinet's decision to create a petrochemical industry in Sabah, saying it is a privilege the people in Sabah should enjoy given its natural resources. "The people in Sabah should have the privilege because we in the State also have problems like unemployment and so on," he said. "We do not want to just lose out on every natural resource we have in Sabah, without getting a bigger share," he said, after opening a course on swiftlet breeding at Tang Dynasty Hotel, Saturday. Yahya who is also Agriculture and Food Industry Minister is confident the oil and gas downstream industries that will come up alongside the petrochemical industry will provide more employment opportunities and income to the people of Sabah. He refuted claims by certain quarters that the State Government had not been wholeheartedly pursuing the creation of the petrochemical industry, saying State leaders have always tried their best like, for instance, meeting the country's supreme leaders and presenting views for consideration. "To me, presenting views or suggestions to our country's supreme leadership is not only through the media, which may be suitable for certain quarters ... we prefer to use the more formal and cordial method like through meetings, discussions and so on," he said.

Story Twisters

At the risk of making the blog-site more popular, I have to say to the owners to stop picking on the ministers' kids. They are just being boys. I'm sure they'll grow out of it. (They will once their parents caught hold of the pictures!)

Anyway, if anyone wishes to criticize, they should just stick with the issues instead of going personal by attacking the ministers' children. They're just kids; what do they know?

You want to attack anyone just go for the parents la... 

Don't tell me that the website owners never had fun before?

Talk about being self-righteous...sheesh.

This so sad.

The Might of the Pen (1)  

The Might of the Pen (2)

PKR's Displeasure Of Pipeline Project Decision

In my opinion...

The construction of the gas pipeline has already begun even before Pak Lah announced it being scrapped in May. Millions already have been spent. Nobody wanted to lose.

Therefore given the situation, a compromise has been agreed upon. I am sure a carefully laid out plan will be in the pipeline, :), to ensure that Sabah will be assured of her share and control of the petrochemical industry. The export of gas is also another source of revenue by the way. Nobody is stupid enough to give it away for free...

Wait a minute... heh, I nearly forgotten that we're Sabahans...

Anyway,

Because ultimately, it is all about providing jobs for Sabahans and boosting Sabah's sources of revenue apart from palm oil and tourism.

When will Sabah ever come across this opportunity again? From a PKR-led Sabah State Government? I seriously doubt it because Sabah's Opposition parties are not in tandem with one another. From observing the recent elections, PR Sabah were too busy fighting with each other which had caused them their certain victory. (No,no I haven't forgotten about the phantom voters and money politics factors)

Finally, I pray that the processes of the petrochemical industry set up shall be done properly and not leaving us open to another rip-off that we are famous of receiving whenever dealing with the Federal Government.

I hope Bernard Dompok won't waste this golden opportunity and will really bring this development home for Sabah.

PKR claims Dompok achieved nothing Kota Kinabalu: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) does not see any sense in the Federal Government proceeding with the 500km Kimanis-Bintulu gas pipeline while at the same time wanting to build a full-fledged petrochemical plant in the State. Vice President Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan said it should scrap plans for the 500km pipeline and, instead, use the billions of ringgit to set up a real full-fledged petrochemical plant in Kimanis, and not have both. "How do you know there is an excess of gas? What is the use of a full-fledged petrochemical plant in Kimanis when at the same time you export the same raw material for this plant? It is illogical and a wastage," he said in a statement, Saturday. He was commenting on Tan Sri Bernard Dompok's statement that he had now agreed to the 500km gas pipeline project after the Federal Cabinet convinced him that a full-fledged petrochemical plant would also be built in Kimanis, and that only excess gas would be exported to Bintulu. Jeffrey, who is also PKR State Steering Committee Chairman, said it is unfortunate that Dompok is satisfied so easily and quickly with the new raw deal or promise by the Federal Government. "While it looks good to say that finally the Federal Government has agreed to build a petrochemical plant in Sabah, it is appalling and raises eyebrows because here at the same time you are killing the plant by building the pipeline to export Sabah's gas. "The idea is to scrap the 500km pipeline and build a full-fledged petrochemical plant here. Dompok now allowed the building of the pipeline. Dompok achieved nothing. The full-fledged plant may never take offÉ," he said. He also said Sabah leaders must examine why Barisan Nasional MPs like Datuk Ghapur Salleh are sceptical about pledges from the Federal Government to Sabah. "I still oppose this 500km gas pipeline project. To me it is tantamount to bullying Sabah and sabotaging her economy. "We want to create downstream industries in Sabah. Why must we export these opportunities to Sarawak, which has its own? Sabah is in dire need of this opportunity as this State is the poorest among the 13 states," Jeffrey said. News Source : Daily Express

MalaysiaKini SMS 09/11/08

9/11: It is a 3-cornered fight for the Umno deputy post with Muhd Muhd Taib checking in today. Others are Muhyiddin Yassin and Ali Rustam/MKINI