MIRI – The decision to permanently seal off and cease operations at the Lawas district section of the interstate Sarawak-Sabah gas pipeline will cause a loss of jobs and negative socioeconomic impacts, said Ba’kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian.
Bian, who is secretary-general of Parti Sarawak Bersatu, today said Petronas had opted to stop operations at the Lawas pipeline section after taking into account serious safety issues.
“Petronas had done ground investigations and took into serious consideration the geological hazards and soil movement due to ground instability along the Lawas pipeline route.
“It then concluded that it must halt operations along the Lawas route. Billions had been spent on the project that had given many locals in Lawas jobs as well as social assistance and benefits to the communities via social corporate responsibility projects.
“The pipeline in Lawas had suffered incidences of leakages and explosions over the years and I had suggested Petronas thoroughly review and upgrade the safety aspects. Sadly, the Lawas pipeline route operations will be halted permanently,” he said in a press statement.
Bian said Petronas should continue the Lawas operations with a thorough overhaul of the pipeline safety.
On October 9 last year, Petronas confirmed there was a leak along the Sarawak-Sabah interstate gas pipeline in the Lawas district in northern Sarawak.
The leak in the mountainous interior was caused by earth movements, the company said in a press statement issued from its Kuala Lumpur headquarters.
The Vibes on October 7 had quoted sources as saying the leakage had indeed occurred at a section of the giant Sarawak-Sabah interstate gas pipeline located in the remote mountains of Lawas district in northernmost Sarawak.
Petronas, which owns the pipeline, had not yet at that time publicly revealed details of the incident.
The giant pipeline snakes across 600km of mountains and jungles from Kimanis in Sabah to Bintulu in Sarawak.
It carries raw gas for processing and export via the Petronas gas plant in Bintulu.
The cost of the pipeline project was said to be about RM5 billion. – The Vibes, September 2, 2023
