In the last parliament sitting, there were not many questions from Sarawak MPs. The MP for Kapit Alexander Linggi asked whether the federal government was considering giving 20% of the oil royalty back to Sarawak but the answer was a big ‘No’.

Sarawak despite being an oil-producing state is one of the three most backward states in Malaysia - how is this possible?

Are we spending too much money on projects that are not generating profit for the people or are we so corrupt that the government uses the money to benefit only politically-linked companies?

Here are details of the royalty paid by Petronas from March 2004 to March 2007:

Petronas pays the federal government : RM13.4 billion

Petronas pays Terengganu : RM7.3 billion

Petronas pays Sarawak : RM4.8 billion

Petronas pay Sabahs : RM1.2 billion

Oil production for each state for the year ending Apr 2007:

Terengganu : 133.7 million barrels

Sarawak : 79 million barrels

Sabah : 28.6 million barrels

Gas production:

Trengganu : 748.2 billion cubic feet

Sarawak : 1,292 billion cubic feet

Sabah : 41.2 billion cubic feet

Total sales of Petronas' petroleum and gas products as at March 2007

RM165.3 billion

In my opinion, a five percent royalty to Sarawak is simply too small (RM4.8 billion for three years). A 20 percent is more reasonable and this over three years will give Sarawak RM19.2 billion.

With that kind of money, our roads, water and electricity infrastructure can be massively improved from their current low level.

How does the Sarawak government use the current oil royalty money? In Bintulu, the road leading to the MLNG plant, ABF, Bintulu Port and the Shell BCOT has not being resurfaced for 20 years. There are many fatal accidents there caused by poor the road surface.

Shouldn’t the oil royalty be used to better the condition of other roads (Ulu Sebauh Road for example), supply electricity to longhouses and improve on the poor school conditions?

Is our Sarawak oil money being used to ensure Ketuanan Melayu - financing so many failing Umno-related businesses? We feel that the Sarawak natives have been left behind in economic terms. The timber sales, too, have not given the natives much benefit.

Dayaks have being losing out as the state’s riches have found their way elsewhere. This has to change.