KUALA LUMPUR, May 6 — Opposition leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin has urged that Sarawak’s oil and gas demands be handled through unity and fairness, stressing that negotiations should foster national cohesion rather than deepen divisions.

In a report published in Free Malaysia Today, the Perikatan Nasional deputy chairman said Petronas, as the sole Malaysian firm on the Fortune Global 500 list, symbolises national pride and should be a platform for collaboration, not confrontation.

“Sarawak should work with Petronas and strike a deal — just as any other country does,” said Hamzah, who is also Bersatu deputy president and the MP for Larut.

He noted that in most oil-producing nations, host states typically receive royalties of up to 15 per cent, and highlighted that Sarawak already benefits from Petronas dividends distributed nationally.

Addressing Sarawak’s call for higher royalty payments, Hamzah said the issue was negotiable but warned against unreasonable demands that could strain national unity.

“There are no other companies in the whole world who will come and say: ‘I’ll give you royalties of 40 per cent for the oil reservoir that you have.’ That is not fair,” he said.

Commenting on Sarawak’s ambition to take on the role of gas aggregator, Hamzah questioned whether such a move would support a viable business model.

“They can ask for it. But remember one thing: it’s not about the policies, it’s about the business model, so that everyone can have a fair share of the cake,” he said.

Hamzah also urged that the issue not be politicised and called for direct negotiations between the state and Petronas, rather than framing it as a conflict with the federal government.

He said Petronas was best placed to determine a fair royalty formula as it holds the necessary data and analysis to reach a balanced outcome.

“They have the analysis. They have the data. They should come up with a fair deal for everyone.”

He further stressed that the principle of fairness should apply to all resource-rich states, citing Perak as an example should it possess significant gold reserves.

“If, for example, my state, Perak, has a lot of gold, do it together. But the royalty must be given to the state accordingly.”

Hamzah concluded by saying Petronas must be protected as “the goose that produces the golden egg” for the benefit of all Malaysians.