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Published: Tuesday November 4, 2008 MYT 2:22:00 PM
Updated: Tuesday November 4, 2008 MYT 4:38:33 PM

Dompok to raise gas pipeline issue with PM

By MAZWIN NIK ANIS

PUTRAJAYA: A Sabah Barisan Nasional component party is unhappy with the Federal Government’s decision to give Petronas the go-ahead to build a gas pipeline. Its president Tan Sri Bernard Dompok plans to bring this matter up with the Cabinet on Friday.

Dompok, who is United Pasok Momogun Kadazan Murut Organisation (Upko) president said the party is unhappy with the decision, claiming that a majority of Sabahans are unhappy too.

As he sits in at Cabinet meetings in his capacity as the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Dompok said he would raise the issue with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Friday.

“I don’t see how the project will benefit Sabahans except for the landowners whose property are bought over to make way for the gas pipes.

“Sabah is an oil and gas producing state but there is no related activity whatsoever; there is no refinery, no university and no petro-chemical or other related industry.

“The industry is good for the state’s economy which is overly dependent on oil palm plantation and tourism. We need to be more diverse. Oil and gas is right before us and we should capitalise on it,” he told reporters Tuesday after launching the Education Services Commission website.

On Nov 1, Abdullah confirmed that the Petronas gas pipeline from Sabah to Sarawak would go on, despite an earlier decision to scrap it.The 500km pipeline from Kimanis to Bintulu, worth RM1.5bil is expected to be operational in 2011.

Asked if he would be getting support from the Sabah government to “fight” this issue, Dompok said: “There is no support from the state government. As for my colleagues from other parties in Sabah, they should know what to do.

“Even though this matter has been decided upon, I will still bring it up with the Cabinet again,” he said of the project.