Media Statement By YB Chong Chieng Jen:
SUPP has in the past defended the CMS monopoly of cement supply in Sarawak. Today, it is defending the monopoly of gas distribution industries.
The monopoly of cement has cost the house purchase dearly for more than 3 decades, contributing to a higher and more unaffordable house prices across Sarawak.
In the past, SUPP has also used the narrative that CMS is a Sarawak company to try to justify the monopoly policy.
Time has proven again and again, monopoly in any industry is detrimental to the rights of the people and consumers.
In the case of the gas distribution monopoly supported by SUPP, not only the rights of the consumers will not be protected, even the 65 distributors dealers appointed by Petros Niaga will be subject to the dictate of Petros Niaga under such monopoly.
If the GPS truly takes the interest of general Sarawakians at heart and wants the profit of this distribution rights only to Sarawakians, the Gap government should then do the following:
- Compel Petronas to sell off its 49% in Petros Niaga
- Approve another 2 licences as distributors other than Petros Niaga to provide competition in the industry.
As a component party in GPS, SUPP has been and is still blindly following whatever policies implemented by PBB. It has totally failed to provide any input to amend the PBB-initiated policy for the interest of the people. That has happened in the past and is still so today.
