PUTRAJAYA, 4 Nov 2008: United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Organisation (Upko) president Tan Sri Bernard Dompok said he would again raise his objection to the Sabah-Sarawak Gas Pipeline Project at the Cabinet meeting on 7 Nov.
He said the objection was to express Upko’s dissatisfaction with the project which brought no benefits to the people of Sabah.
“I’m not happy. I feel this is the general sentiment of the Sabah people. The oil and gas industry is massive, and Sabah has no activity that is closely linked to the industry.
“All this while, the Sabah economy depends merely on tourism and palm oil. It’s not fair if the oil and gas industry is given significance in Sabah’s development,” he told reporters at a press conference after launching the Education Service Commission’s portal at the Prime Minister’s Department, here today.
He said this when commenting on the decision of the government to resume the construction of the gas pipeline project from Kimanis, Sabah to Bintulu, Sarawak.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, when visiting Sabah on 1 Nov, had confirmed that the project would be resumed after being halted temporarily.
Dompok had previously voiced his objection against the project on grounds that the gas was most needed in Sabah to implement various development projects and to develop the state’s downstream industries.
He said he was most disappointed because the objection was not supported by the state government although it should be conversant on the matter.
Earlier, in his speech at the launching ceremony, Dompok, who is also the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, said the application of information technology as a medium of communication should be given emphasis.
This, he said, was because an organisation must be more responsive in providing quality service. — Bernama
