Petronas refutes report on alleged conflict over tax payment to Sarawak

Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) has categorically refuted a newswire report titled “Malaysian energy giant’s board at odds with the prime minister over payment to Sarawak state.”

“The alleged conflict between the prime minister, Petronas and its shareholder is mere speculative reporting without any basis whatsoever.

“Petronas wishes to reiterate that in line with the joint statement issued on May 8, 2020, Petronas, in collaboration with its shareholder, is currently in the midst of negotiations with the Sarawak state government to achieve appropriate commercial resolution,” it said in a statement late yesterday.

The national oil company said it remained committed in working closely with its Sarawak counterparts and its stakeholders to reach the best outcome on this matter.

“Our aim is to achieve a resolution that will lead to a more stable and conducive business and investment environment for the oil and gas industry, which will be especially important given current market challenges,” it added.

Last month, Petronas and the Sarawak government said in a joint statement that the oil giant had agreed to pay petroleum products sales tax imposed by Sarawak for 2019 amounting to RM2 billion.

-- BERNAMA