RM6.218bil in oil royalty for Terengganu

The Terengganu government has received RM6.218 billion in oil royalty from the Federal Government since 2000, said Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said.

He said the amount included the RM408.6 million handed over recently by deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak who is also the Finance Minister.

”We are still waiting for the Federal Government to give us a complete list on the oil royalty money expenditure,” he told Mohd Abdul Wahid Endut (PASWakaf Mempelam) who wanted to know the amount of oil royalty Terengganu received from the year 2000 to 2008.

Ahmad said the Finance Ministry confirmed that RM700 million oil royalty was used by the Federal Government to build houses. These were developed by Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad (SPNB) nationwide.

Another RM800 million was used on development projects in other states.

“We are reclaiming the RM1.5 billion from the Federal Government once we receive the complete list from the Finance Ministry.”

Ahmad said the Federal Government had agreed to hand over the management of the oil royalty to the Terengganu government and that discussions were underway.

”That is why the Terengganu government has not withdrawn its civil suit against the Federal Government,” he said in reply to a supplementary question by Datuk Harun Taib (PASManir), who wanted to know why the Federal Government was keeping the oil royalty.

Terengganu’s oil royalty suit against the Federal Government was filed in court by PAS in the year 2000.

The party ruled the state from 1999 to 2004.

— Bernama.