Pahang Has Right To Claim Oil Royalty, Says Goverment Supporter

November 19, 2009 17:33 PM

Pahang Has Right To Claim Oil Royalty, Says Goverment Supporter

KUANTAN, Nov 19 (Bernama) -- A government supporter has asked the Pahang government to claim oil royalties from the federal government, claiming that the oil extracted in Terengganu waters could also come from areas in the state.

Datuk Abdul Rahman Mohamad (BN-Padang Tengku), while debating the Pahang government's 2010 Budget in the State Assembly on Thursday, said a consulting firm should be appointed to study the matter in an effort to boost the state's revenue, which had suffered budget deficits for 12 consecutive years.

"Terengganu is given oil royalties, Kelantan gets compassionate payment, but why isn't Pahang given anything when it has the right (to receive royalties)," he said.

Meanwhile, Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob said told the assembly that the first phase of the upgrading and expansion project of Kuantan Port as a manufacturing hub and main logistics centre in the development of the East Coast Economic Region (ECER), would start by end of 2010.

It would entail the construction of wave breakers and the widening and deepening of navigation routes.

He said the project would turn Kuantan Port into a commercial gateway between Malaysia and Asia-Pacific countries while some 50,000 job opportunities would be created by 2020.

-- BERNAMA