KUALA TERENGGANU, 15 April 2009: The Terengganu state government has received in the last six months RM650 million of the RM1.4-billion oil royalty it had claimed from the federal government, the state assembly was told today.
Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said said the federal government payment was garnered from the money expended by Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad (SPNB) as well as the money channelled to other states from the Terengganu oil royalty.
“The balance of the RM1.4 billion will be handed to the state government after negotiations with the federal government are finalised,” he said when winding up debate in the state assembly.
Ahmad said SPNB had used RM873 million of the Terengganu oil royalty to implement housing projects nationwide and that only RM102 million of the sum was spent on housing projects in the state.
“This means that SPNB still owes the state government RM771 million, while the oil royalty turned into a special fund for the other states is RM717 million.
“We are also having discussions to claim RM2.6 billion in oil royalty used by several ministries so as to implement projects in this state, including expansion of the Sultan Mahmud Airport and construction of the East Coast Highway,” he said.
The state assembly sitting was adjourned sine die. — Bernama
