by Geryl Ogilvy Ruekeith, reporters@theborneopost.com.
Posted on August 21, 2012, Tuesday
Taib believes negotiation on oil royalty will bear better results in direct private talks with the Prime Minister
KUCHING: Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said it is better to hold any discussion on increased oil royalty to the state in private with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
Taib, who was met at his Hari Raya open house at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here on Sunday, told reporters that the state had always discussed directly with the federal government issues that needed to be ironed out.
He believed that it was unnecessary to make public his opinion on the oil royalty for Sabah and Sarawak if a direct talk with the prime minister could yield better results.
“That has always been the way of the state’s dealings in its relationship with the federal government,” said Taib who is also Finance Minister and Resource Planning and Environment Minister.
He was responding to the press when asked on reports of several Barisan Nasional (BN) elected representatives recently making public their opinion that it was high time the state and federal governments hold talks on increasing oil royalty for the two East Malaysian states.
