‘Keep our gas to draw investors’
May 24, 2010, Monday
KOTA KINABALU: A thriving oil and gas industry in Sabah will entice more investors to come and invest in the state, said Industrial Development Minister Datuk Raymond Tan.
Datuk Raymond Tan
“If we can only keep our natural gas resource in Sabah, industries that require gas would come and that is why, for that reason, I feel that if we are going to drive our industrial activities, we have to keep the oil and gas in Sabah,” he said.
According to Tan, he would prefer that the State not sell off the resources which have huge potential to replace plantations as a revenue earner for the state.
“This is not politics, I would prefer that we don’t sell the resources. The investors will come and generate more job opportunities in Sabah. If we can do that, we are able to raise ourselves to the level of where we are talking about…getting more money.
“I’m saying this based on what would be the best interest for the people of Sabah, You don’t bring politics into it,” he told reporters after officiating a public forum on the New Economic Model jointly organised by the Sabah Gerakan SME development bureau and state’s Special Affairs Department.
The State Cabinet and even the Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman in his winding-up speech during the state assembly last month deliberated on the industry’s potential said that oil and gas development would be carried out in Sipitang, Kimanis and Kudat, Tan added.
Tan also pointed out that the potential of the oil and gas industry was an area which has not been seen in Sabah and should be generating the people’s interest.
“There was a seminar on the subject matter recently and in July an oil and gas exhibition will be held in Sabah. So all these activities will be coming because we see the potential and need to be excited about a new area of development,” he said.
Tan further said more than 20 years ago before the plantation industry took off, not many people talked about CPO but looking back now that particular area of development is huge and is currently giving the biggest revenue to the state.
Yes, the oil and gas are important to attract investors to invest in Sabah, when the Sun Bear Solar company come in, there would be a need for gas to power their operations.
BalasPadamdatuk raymond tan sure put sabahans 1st...we do need to keep our oil and gas..then the investors will come and generate more jobs opportunity in sabah..i think this should be done by the govt because it will bring benefits for govt and the people of sabah...other than economic benefit, it also can reduce the poverty and jobless rates among sabahans...
BalasPadamno need to sell it.. use our resources to develop our industrial.. we can use the resource to boost our state economy.
BalasPadam+ve and very intelligent thinking... Good Job....
BalasPadamWithout sufficient natural gas, we would drive away many potential investors.
BalasPadamIf Sabah have the need for these resources, they shouldn't sell it.
BalasPadamSufficient supplies of natural gas = more investors.
BalasPadamLess sufficient supplies of natural gas = no investors and investments.
Good work Raymond Tan. Very +ve. We really need more investors to invest here. Hope everything works out ya.
BalasPadamIn order to have more investments and job opportunities in Sabah, we must first make sure that the power supplies are stable.
BalasPadamKalau gas ini diperlukan untuk pembagunan dalaman, tak wajar ia dijual. Mestilah kena mengutamakan pembagunan dahulu.
BalasPadamIf the resources are kept within the state and used for development purposes, we could have long term gains, if we sell off the resources, we only can get short term profits.
BalasPadam