Petronas - Meritocracy or Bias?

Petronas in its quest to become an MNC has forgotten its role as a national oil company. It has also forgotten upon whose assets and resources it has risen into the ranks of the Fortune 500. Does it not owe Sarawak anything?

To talk of its thousands of international staff and job seekers from the other 12 states as well is besides the point.

Having sacrificed its petroleum resources to Petronas for the last 40 years, is it too much for Sarawak to ask for priority to be given to Sarawakians for jobs in Sarawak?

While not all Sarawakians may want to work for Petronas, if work is available in Sarawak would they want to work elsewhere including in Semenanjung?

The deal when Malaysia was formed was Borneanisation, not Malayanisation. This is clear from the Malaysia Agreement.

There are good reasons why Sarawak required control over its own immigration and priority for employment for Sarawakians is one of them, notwithstanding which has been flouted by Petronas and conveniently forgotten by most if not all Malayans.

Petronas meritocracy is only an excuse. Sarawakians were employed in O&G long before any Malayans and today are among the best. They can find employment in O&G worldwide, but strangely not in their home state for Petronas. Why?

Why are there no Sarawakians in senior management positions in Petronas itself, or even at board level (have there ever been)? Meritocracy or bias? Coincidence or on purpose? Overlooked or planned?

Yes, Petronas must look at the larger picture, but in doing so must not forget its roots and who it is supposed to look after.

The idea behind the relinquishment of the petroleum-producing states' resources to Petronas was to benefit the non-petroleum producing states as well.

It is ironical that now the petroleum-producing states find themselves among the poorest in the nation, unable even to take advantage of employment opportunities for their own people because Petronas thinks that only it can decide on meritocracy, but in reality not especially when junior staff from Malaya are given jobs replacing senior Sarawakians.

Sarawakians are not asking or begging for jobs which they don't deserve. All Sarawakians want is a fair chance to regain economic parity for its present and future generations. This is not merely in the State's interest but also in the national interest.

If that is denied to them because of pro-Malayan Petronas bias, Petronas has to answer to the State.

Yusuf Abdul Rahman
Media Communications
Suarah Petroleum Group