Petronas-Petros deal could face ‘Tabung Haji’ reckoning in future, warns expert

The potential settlement between Petronas and Sarawak's state-owned Petros may face future accountability scrutiny if perceived as a political compromise rather than a decision made in the national interest, warns Walter Sandosam, a former member of the MACC's consultation and corruption prevention panel.

The issue surfaces amidst ongoing discussions about Sarawak's role in the oil and gas sector, underpinned by contrasting legal frameworks—the Distribution of Gas Ordinance 2016 and the Petroleum Development Act 1974.

With Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim addressing key matters such as the Malaysia Agreement 1963, Sandosam emphasizes that past experiences, where decisions were politically influenced, caution against unintended long-term consequences.

Petronas asserts that safeguarding national energy security remains its central commitment, underscoring the importance of aligning any agreements with national interests.

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 10 — A settlement between Petronas and Sarawak’s state-owned Petros could become a future accountability issue if it is seen as a political compromise rather than a decision made in the national interest, a former member of the MACC’s consultation and corruption prevention panel warned.

Walter Sandosam said the political circumstances surrounding any agreement could later come under scrutiny, even if it is defended today as a practical solution.

“Petronas-Petros could become a future accountability issue if a settlement is seen as political compromise rather than national-interest decision,” he said.

The warning comes ahead of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s meeting on the implementation of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) on Friday, where petroleum and revenue matters are expected to be among the key issues.

Petronas and Petros have been in talks over the Sarawak company’s role as the state gas aggregator, against a wider dispute over authority in the oil and gas sector.

Petros has cited Sarawak’s Distribution of Gas Ordinance 2016 in asserting its role in the state, while Petronas maintains that the Petroleum Development Act 1974 (PDA) gives it exclusive rights over the country’s petroleum resources.

Sandosam who is also the former president of the Institute of Internal Auditors Malaysia (IIAM) said the political context had changed, with the federal government now more dependent on Sabah and Sarawak.

“This creates space for political horse-trading,” he said.

He said giving Petros greater leeway over the aggregator issue could later be framed as a decision that weakened Petronas and the federal government’s position.

Sandosam said decision-makers should be mindful of the experience of Tabung Haji and Felda, where decisions made in a previous political climate were later revisited amid concerns over abuse of power, poor governance and oversight failures.

A royal commission of inquiry into Tabung Haji reprimanded executives over decisions influenced by political considerations, highlighting how actions taken by public institutions can be reassessed years later.

“Even good intentions or paper trails may not protect decision-makers later, because future opponents can still frame the deal as politically motivated,” Sandosam said.

He said the PDA should prevail if national interest was the main consideration.

Sandosam, who is also a former president of the Institute of Internal Auditors Malaysia, said any agreement must be assessed not only on the immediate political outcome but also on whether it protects the country’s long-term interests.

Petronas has repeatedly stressed that safeguarding national energy security is central to its role as Malaysia’s national oil company.

In its half-year results announcement last month, Petronas said its priority was to “safeguard energy security for those we serve”.

Its president and group CEO, Tengku Muhammad Taufik, said the company had strengthened its portfolio and worked across the value chain to deliver uninterrupted energy for Malaysia as its national oil company.

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马来西亚国家石油公司 (Petronas) 与砂拉越州属石油公司 (Petros) 之间可能达成的和解协议，如果被视为政治妥协而非出于国家利益的决定，则可能面临未来的问责审查。马来西亚反贪污委员会 (MACC) 咨询和反贪污小组前成员沃尔特·桑多萨姆 (Walter Sandosam) 警告说。

在关于砂拉越在石油和天然气领域的作用的持续讨论中，这个问题浮出水面，而这种讨论又受到截然不同的法律框架——2016 年天然气分销条例和 1974 年石油发展法令——的支持。

安华·易卜拉欣总理谈及《1963 年马来西亚协议》等关键事项时，桑多萨姆强调，过去受政治影响的决策经验表明，应警惕可能产生的意想不到的长期后果。

马来西亚国家石油公司 (Petronas) 坚称，维护国家能源安全仍然是其核心承诺，并强调任何协议都必须与国家利益保持一致。

吉隆坡，9月10日讯——马来西亚国家石油公司（Petronas）与砂拉越州属石油公司（Petros）达成的和解协议，如果被视为政治妥协而非出于国家利益的决定，可能会成为未来的问责问题，马来西亚反贪污委员会（MACC）咨询和反贪污小组的一名前成员警告说。

沃尔特·桑多萨姆表示，任何协议背后的政治环境日后都可能受到审查，即使该协议今天被认为是一个务实的解决方案。

他说：“如果和解被视为政治妥协而不是国家利益的决定，那么Petronas-Petros可能会成为未来的问责问题。”

在马来西亚总理安瓦尔·易卜拉欣周五召开关于落实1963年马来西亚协议（MA63）的会议之前，发出了这一警告。预计石油和税收问题将是此次会议的关键议题之一。

马来西亚国家石油公司 (Petronas) 和马来西亚石油公司 (Petros) 一直在就这家砂拉越公司作为州天然气聚合商的角色进行谈判，这引发了石油和天然气领域更广泛的权力争议。

Petros援引砂拉越2016年天然气分销条例来维护其在该州的地位，而Petronas则坚持认为1974年石油发展法令（PDA）赋予其对该国石油资源的专属权利。

曾任马来西亚内部审计师协会 (IIAM) 主席的桑多萨姆表示，政治环境已经发生变化，联邦政府现在更加依赖沙巴和砂拉越。

“这为政治交易创造了空间，”他说。

他表示，给予 Petros 在聚合商问题上更大的自主权，日后可能会被解读为削弱 Petronas 和联邦政府地位的决定。

桑多萨姆表示，决策者应该吸取朝圣基金局和联邦土地发展局的经验教训，这两个机构在之前的政治环境下做出的决定，后来由于对滥用权力、治理不善和监督失职的担忧而被重新审视。

皇家调查委员会对朝圣基金局的高管进行了训诫，指出他们的决策受到政治因素的影响，并强调了公共机构采取的行动可以在多年后重新评估。

桑多萨姆说：“即使有良好的意愿或书面记录，也可能无法在日后保护决策者，因为未来的反对者仍然可以将这项交易描述为出于政治动机。”

他表示，如果国家利益是主要考虑因素，那么《公共发展法》就应该优先适用。

曾任马来西亚内部审计师协会主席的桑多萨姆表示，任何协议都必须不仅根据其直接的政治结果进行评估，还要根据其是否保护国家的长期利益进行评估。

马来西亚国家石油公司（Petronas）一再强调，保障国家能源安全是其作为马来西亚国家石油公司的核心职责。

马来西亚国家石油公司（Petronas）在上个月发布的半年业绩报告中表示，其首要任务是“保障我们所服务对象的能源安全”。

其总裁兼集团首席执行官 Tengku Muhammad Taufik 表示，作为马来西亚的国家石油公司，该公司已加强了其产品组合，并在整个价值链上开展工作，以向马来西亚提供不间断的能源。

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