Mind your own business on oil royalty, Dr M told 
MalaysiaKini.com
Jan 29, 2015 

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has been slammed for describing as 'too much' the request by Sarawak for a 20 percent increase in oil and gas royalties.

"He has no business talking about Sarawak's request. Someone should have told him to mind his own business," said Sarawak DAP chief Chong Chieng Jen said today.

Chong is also MP for Bandar Kuching and state assemblyperson for Kota Sentosa.

Mahathir had on Tuesday said he did not agree with Sarawak's request for oil and gas royalties to be hiked from the present five percent to 20 percent.

The former prime minister was in the state capital for an international energy conference.

Mahathir had said that he agreed with an increase but that a 20 percent increase was 'too much'.

He added an increase of six percent or thereabouts was all right.

In explaining his stand, Mahathir said the quantum of increase sought by the state government was too high as the price of oil had plunged recently and as a result, the federal government got less revenue from Petronas, the national oil corporation.

'Sarawak's right'

Chong (below, left) said: "Mahathir had a large role to play during his tenure as prime minister in causing economic hardships for the people now.

"He built the multi-billion ringgit Petronas twin towers using our oil resources from Sarawak.

"Now he wants to stop Sarawak from getting a 20 percent oil royalty. This is Sarawak's right as an oil-producing state," he said.

Chong called on the state government to stand up for the rights of the state and urged Sarawak BN to not be afraid of Mahathir.

On speculation that Mahathir spoke on behalf of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, Chong said that the state government must seek to clarify the status of Sarawak's oil and gas royalties and any increases in quantum.

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