SAMUR Project for Developing Sabah - Well Done Sabahans!

Politicians - you can't live without them. If you need something done, you either become a politician or have a politician get it done for you.

In the case of Sabah, the people made their voices heard and demanded that they be given a larger slice of the development pie. And they got it.

Well bargained and done, Sabahans! Well bargained and done.

The following is the Media Release issued by PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad (PCG) on the Sabah Ammonia Urea (SAMUR) Project.

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PRIME MINISTER OFFICIATES GROUNDBREAKING FOR SAMUR PROJECT

Sipitang, February 16: PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad (PCG), a subsidiary of PETRONAS, today held a groundbreaking ceremony for its Sabah Ammonia Urea (SAMUR) Project in Sipitang, Sabah. The event was officiated by YAB Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Hj Abdul Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the RM4.5 billion project marks an important milestone for PETRONAS in its continuous efforts in developing and adding value to Malaysia’s oil and gas resources in line with the Government’s economic development and transformation initiatives.

The event also symbolises PETRONAS’ commitment to further spur the growth of the oil and gas industry in Sabah, supporting the Sabah Government’s Halatuju, the master plan to bring development and progress to the State.

Located in Sipitang Oil & Gas Industrial Park, the world-class SAMUR Project forms an integral part of PETRONAS’ overall downstream plans to optimise the value of the oil and gas resources found offshore Sabah, currently being developed in an integrated manner by PETRONAS.

“The development of the project is expected to act as a catalyst to the growth of Sipitang and its surrounding area, widening the manufacturing base of existing industries and promoting other spin-offs for the State’s socio-economic benefits”, said Chairman of PCG Datuk Wan Zulkiflee Wan Ariffin, who is also the Executive Vice President of PETRONAS Downstream Business.

The project will also provide a myriad of professional and technical employment opportunities for Sabahans. In this regard, PCG has embarked on a training programme at its various chemicals plants in Malaysia for Sabahan technicians, in preparation for SAMUR’s operation beginning 2015.

Riding on the strong agricultural growth in the Asia Pacific region, the project is part of PCG’s strategy to grow its fertiliser business in this important market. The project strengthens PCG’s position as a key regional fertiliser player, while supporting Malaysia’s Economic Transformation Programme that focuses on the agriculture sector as one of the National Key Economic Areas.

The SAMUR project consists of a urea plant, a granulation plant and an ammonia plant, as well as utilities and jetty facilities. The urea plant will produce 1.2 million metric tons per annum (mtpa) of granulated urea, while the ammonia plant will produce 740,000 mtpa of liquid ammonia.

This will potentially position PCG as the second largest urea producer in South East Asia, as the new plant would almost double its current production capacity. Currently, PCG operates two urea plants -- a 750,000 mtpa urea plant in Bintulu, Sarawak and a 683,000 mtpa urea plant in Gurun, Kedah.

Vote-Buying in Sabah by PR Reaches a New High

When most Malaysians were celebrating Malaysia's nationhood and unity on Malaysia Day, PR politicians were preaching something else. As can be seen from the screen capture of the Borneo Post's website, these PR politicians promised Sabahans full autonomy, whereby "Sabah affairs will be determined by Sabah."

It begs the question, why should Sabah get special treatment? Why not give other states that are relatively resource rich the same offer? And why make such an offer on Malaysia Day, the day when Sabahans made the conscious decision to join the Federation of Malaya to form Malaysia?

Anwar Ibrahim says, it is "a demand that Malaysians in Sabah have relentlessly been making since gaining independence 47 years ago in 1963." (see http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=68357)

A clever play of words, considering that those opposed to joining Malaysia without Sabah being given full autonomy back then were indeed Malaysians, but not the many more Malaysians who formed the majority, who were indeed happy for Sabah to join Malaysia as a federate state.

Whatever the case for or against Sabah being given more attention in terms of development funding, Anwar's full-autonomy rhetoric stinks of vote-buying. Such a promise does not address how Sabah is to handle its own affairs, especially how it intends to finance those affairs.

Worse, if successful, Sabah's full-autonomy lays the precedent for other resource rich states like Sarawak, Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang to press for full autonomy as well, leaving other, less resource-rich states, especially Kedah and Perlis in a lurch.

This is indeed why Malaysia has not been formed as a nation of confederate states. Resources are to be pooled for mutual benefit, the success or failure of that endeavour in certain states notwithstanding.

At a time when the Federal Government needs to work harder to transform Malaysia into a high income nation, PR appears to be working hard towards the disintegration of Malaysia as we know it, with little or no regard for ensuring that Malaysia as a whole breaks out of the middle income trap.

And it is for this very reason, among many other reasons, that I will cast a protest vote against PR in Selangor in the coming general elections.