National oil company Petronas has given assurance that it will consider local contractors when awarding future projects in Sabah, following a call made by Sabah Oil and Gas Contractors Association (SOGCA) for more opportunities from Petronas.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said the oil and gas company''s chief executive officer, Datuk Shamsul Azhar Abbas, had responded well to SOGCA''s call and has made a promise to ensure such opportunities be given to qualified local contractors in the industry.
"Over breakfast this morning with Shamsul together with State Industrial Development Minister Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Kiah, we had discussed and I had relayed the wishes of the traders and contractors in Sabah''s oil and gas industry.
"I requested that opportunities be given to contractors in Sabah so that they could venture and actively take part in the oil and gas industry, considering that our state is also an oil producer.
"He took well my views and promised to look into ensuring that projects by Petronas will take into account the interest of qualified businessmen and contractors from Sabah and not just the Bumiputeras but also the non-Bumiputeras," he told reporters after launching the Mobile Courtroom here, today.
He said this in response to the call made by SOGCA.
SOGCA had highlighted that local contractors were not getting enough projects from Petronas, saying that the opportunities usually went to main contractors from Peninsular Malaysia or Sarawak, while Sabahan contractors would only be appointed as sub-contractors.
Its president Datuk Iskandar Malik also suggested that for the sake of transparency and credibility, priority should be given to SOGCA members who have the experience and capability to implement projects hands-on.
The association further called on the Government to review the Petroleum Act 1974, to ease Petronas in channelling project contracts directly to the local industry in Sabah and not through the main contractors from Sarawak or Peninsular Malaysia.
It had also urged Sabah Members of Parliament (MPs) to assist in the matter. --BERNAMA
