KUALA LUMPUR, Sept. 4 -- Sarawak has received just RM49 billion in oil royalties over nearly five decades, while national oil company Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) retained the lion's share of revenue from the state's petroleum resources, according to Sarawak's legal counsel Datuk Seri JC Fong.

The figure, revealed during a recent forum on state rights, underscores growing frustration over what Sarawak officials describe as decades of under-compensation, according to a Daily Dayak report.

"From 1975 until 2024, Sarawak has received approximately RM49 billion in cash payments from Petronas," Fong was quoted as saying.

"The remaining 95 per cent went to Petronas from the oil and gas resources found in Sarawak."

Prime Minister Dat...