“We are looking into a commercial settlement because relying solely on legal interpretations would take longer amid a complex court process,” he said at the 2026 Sarawak Budget Conference in Kuching.

Bernama reported him as saying that both parties must come together and explore all areas where they could collaborate, noting that this approach would ultimately benefit not only the nation but also the business community.

In August, Fadillah was quoted as saying that only administrative and commercial negotiations remained unresolved in talks between Petronas and Petros.

Previously, law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said said Petronas and Petros had yet to finalise the terms and mechanisms for the implementation of the joint declaration on gas distribution.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Sarawak premier Abang Johari Openg signed the joint declaration in May, forming the basis for cooperation between Petronas and Petros.

Petros was appointed as the gas aggregator for Sarawak’s domestic market from March 1.