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KOTA KINABALU: Sabah did not participate in bidding for the Mutiara Cluster oil block as its state-owned firms, SMJ Energy and Sabah International Petroleum (SIP), lack the capital and expertise for large-scale exploration, said Finance Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun.

He told the State Assembly that the Mutiara PSC, recently awarded to Dialog Group Berhad, was part of an international bid and still in the exploration stage.

Masidi assured that Sabah’s interests remain protected under the Commercial Collaboration Agreement with Petronas, and hinted at future involvement by SMJ.

In response to opposition leader Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal’s criticism over Sabah’s exclusion, Masidi said the government prefers “quiet but consistent” efforts over rhetoric.

The Mutiara Cluster, off Sabah’s east coast, comprises five marginal fields, with first gas expected before Q1 2029.