Lee supports move to freeze new work permits for non-Sarawakian Petronas staff

MIRI: The immigration right exercised by the Sarawak government to protect the interest and welfare of its people due to Petroliam Nasional Berhad’s (Petronas) upstream restructuring exercise in the state should not be challenged.

In making a strong stand on this, Assistant Minister for Land and Air Transportation and Safety Datuk Lee Kim Shin said he welcomed the state government’s decision to freeze all new working permits of Petronas personnel from Peninsular

Malaysia in the state with immediate effect.

“For the welfare and interest of our people, Sarawak has the right to exercise its immigration power.

“They (Petronas) have to respect our immigration right which should not be challenged and questioned,” he stated when contacted by The Borneo Post yesterday.

Lee, who is also Assistant Minister of Tourism, said Petronas should give Sarawakians due consideration on employment in its operations in the state because they are familiar

with the environment and local culture.

On the Petronas upstream restructuring exercise, he strongly felt that Petronas should place the welfare and interest of its Sarawakian employees into high consideration.

“If they (Sarawakians) are qualified for the posts and have a lot of working experience, it is not right for the company to put them into the retrenchment list and let non-Sarawakians fill the vacancies.”