Pelagoose

KUCHING: There have been concerns that Petronas might call back Sarawakians in the middle and top positions in Peninsular Malaysia and overseas, following the state government’s move to freeze all new applications for work permits for its personnel posted to the state.

However, Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing opined that it would be ‘childish’ of Petronas to resort to such drastic action as the national oil company would stand to lose more if they did that.

“If Petronas calls back all Sarawakian middle and top level employees working in Kuala Lumpur (and overseas), that is ‘tit for tat’ and it is childish. Petronas will stand to lose more if they do it. Why? Because the oil and gas are in Sarawak waters!

“Besides, what Sarawak wants is what is ours as enshrined in Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63),” Masing told The Borneo Post yesterday.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas told The Borneo Post on Sunday that the measure to freeze all new applications for work permits for the national oil company’s personnel intending to work in the state was to ensure that Petronas would be fair and transparent in engaging with Sarawak regarding its operations in the state.

Uggah said the state government’s decision was prompted by complaints from Sarawakian Petronas officers, whose services were terminated or who were retrenched.

Assistant Minister of Housing Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the measure taken by the state government was definitely a good and welcome news to all Sarawakians, and showed that Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem was truly serious about this matter.

“I’m very happy to hear that all new employment permits from Petronas have been frozen until particulars sought by the state government are furnished. Petronas must know that their political master is not just the federal government, but the state government too.”

Abdul Karim, who is also Assistant Youth and Sports Minister, reiterated that Sarawakians had been ‘insulted’ by Petronas for too long and wanted this to be stopped.

“I have said that we do not want Petronas to ‘insult’ us. They have insulted us for far too long on this employment of Sarawakians matter and we want them to change their policy. Lest, we will have to tighten it on our side,” the Asajaya assemblyman said.

Sarawak Dayak Graduates Association (SDGA) president Dr Dusit Jaul said the association strongly supported the state government’s latest move, adding that it was within the state’s purview in the MA63.

Suarah Petroleum Group (SPG) president Hamim Yusuf said the group was very pleased to note the fast and positive response from the state government on this matter.

“Pursuant to SPG’s statement highlighting the issues faced by local Sarawakians pertaining to Petronas’ restructuring exercise; we are very pleased to note the fast and positive response from the state government on this matter.

“We believe that the state in its wisdom will do its best to resolve this matter with Petronas to address the adverse sentiments at the ground level. This issue is one of immediate concern and is separate, though a reflection of the broader issues, which includes the fundamental economic aspect of how Petronas has been treating the development of local oil and gas industry and job market.” Meanwhile, sources revealed that Petronas officials were expected to have a meeting with Uggah today.

credit: Borneo Post

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.”

KUCHING: The state government’s move to issue a moratorium on new applications for work permits from Petronas personnel from outside Sarawak who intend to work in Sarawak speaks volumes about the not so close relationship between the federal and state governments when it comes to the distribution of resources between Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia.

State DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen said the fact that the state government had to go to this extent just so that Petronas would review its unfair employment policy towards Sarawak showed that the so-called sweet and cordial relationship between Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had gotten nowhere when it came to the demand of state rights.

“By now, it is hoped that Adenan has woken from his own make-believe that their (Adenan and Najib) soft and cordial relationship will get him the autonomy and rights for Sarawak.

“The cold and hard reality is that, the federal government and Najib need as much resources and revenues for their extravagance and Sarawak has a lot to offer. As such, it is impossible for Najib to relinquish this source of revenue,” he said in a press statement yesterday.

In view of this, Chong, who is Bandar Kuching MP and Kota Sentosa assemblyman, opined that the Sarawak state government should start taking a hard position and tough action against the federal government when it comes to negotiation for Sarawak’s rights.

“At present, there are only two tools that the Sarawak government has some leverage over the federal government, namely the immigration autonomy and the threat to withdraw its support for Umno and quit national BN.

“We hope, in the interest of Sarawak, the state government should give these two tools serious consideration.”

Chong said as early as April 27 last year, he had suggested in the Sarawak State Assembly that the state’s immigration power be used by the state government to force the issue of 20 per cent oil and gas royalty.

In quoting the Hansard, Chong said he had then said: “I will give you two suggestions. The first one, the first suggestion is to use our immigration power and cancel the work permit of all the West Malaysians currently employed at the executive and managerial level in the office of Petronas, MLNG and the subsidiary companies in Sarawak.

“Cancel their work permit. They cannot continue to work in Sarawak. This will put a halt, maybe, a stop to its operation production until the matter is finally sorted out. It may cause some loss of revenue but it is better to put a halt to the production than to allow the continuous extraction when we are only getting five per cent royalty. After all, if the operation were stopped, oil and gas will still remain in our soil.”

Three days ago, Chong said he repeated the same call albeit only in respect of the unfair employment policy of Petronas in Sarawak whereby only 39 per cent of the management positions and 46 per cent of the middle management positions were filled by Sarawakians in Petronas’ operation in Sarawak.

“DAP Sarawak welcomes the state government’s adoption of DAP’s suggestion to use the immigration autonomy to force Petronas to view seriously the demands of Sarawak in terms of fairer employment policies and allocation of resources. I am glad that the Sarawak Government adopted the suggestion made three days ago.”

KUCHING: Sarawakians are capable of filling any post in Petronas if given the chance, said Anselm Diye, a contract consultant trainer at Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd.

For it to happen, he said the government would have to bring Petronas to the discussion table.

“What the authority should do is create a win-win situation by going back to the basics, like going to the drawing board and work out a road map. After that, implement the proposals for the benefit of all, especially Sarawakians,” he told The Borneo Post here yesterday.

The PhD student of Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK), specialising in Entrepreneur and Business, noted that generally Sarawakians were not given a fair chance at the top and senior management level of the national oil corporation.

“There are capable locals with years of experience in operations and good academics. Take me, for instance. I am more than capable of handling human resources issues.”

He is optimistic there would be a positive outcome soon following the state government’s decision to put a moratorium on all new applications for work permits by Petronas personnel who intended to work in Sarawak.

Anselm also hoped the state government would be able to clinch a more comprehensive and long term deal with Petronas as most of the oil and gas are found in Sarawak.

“When I completed my studies, I would also like to work with Petronas Sarawak, if given the chance. So, we hope that all the relevant authorities would put into place a fair play mechanism so that everyone will have a chance to work and climb the ladder in Petronas.”

Anselm, 52, who hails from Kampung Krusen in Serian, has been in the oil and gas industry for more than 30 years. Before joining Petronas, he was with Shell Sarawak for 25 years.

On Sunday, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the state government had frozen with immediate effect all new applications for work permits by Petronas personnel who intended to work in Sarawak.

The move, Uggah explained, was to ensure the national oil corporation would be fair and transparent in engaging with Sarawak regarding its operations in the state

Credit- Borneo Post

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