KUALA LUMPUR: The government remains silent on the announcement by Petroliam Nasional Bhd (PETRONAS) to cut over 5,000 jobs and freeze new hiring until the end of 2026.
PAS Central Information Chief, Ahmad Fadhli Shaari, criticised the government’s action and said it appears to prioritise the RM32 billion in dividends contributed by PETRONAS.
“Hello? This isn’t some village company. This is a state-owned enterprise. But the government seems totally indifferent. As long as it gets the RM32 billion dividend, everything’s fine.
“I’ve raised this issue repeatedly both inside and outside Parliament. On November 13 last year, I asked in the Dewan Rakyat about the direction of the negotiations between PETRONAS and Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (PETROS).
“The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), Dato’ Sri Azalina Othman Said, responded that everything would supposedly prioritise national interest.
“I have no problem with PETROS, but our question is… what will happen to PETRONAS after this? Who’s going to defend the ‘mother’ of all national assets?” he said in a Facebook statement on Thursday.
Ahmad Fadhli, who is also the Member of Parliament for Pasir Mas, described the government’s decision to keep taking large dividends from PETRONAS even as its profits decline as reckless and foolish.
“In February, I said it again in the media… when the government keeps cashing in on PETRONAS dividends despite its falling profits, that’s a foolish and greedy move — like slaughtering the goose that lays the golden eggs,” he said.
Earlier, PETRONAS President and CEO, Tan Sri Tengku Muhammad Taufik Tengku Aziz, admitted that this ‘rightsizing’ move had to be made to ensure the company’s sustainability over the next 10 years.
“So what now? The Prime Minister, Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim (PMX), and his gang still proudly claim investor confidence, economic strength, and that everything is under control.
“What stability? Even a giant like PETRONAS is cutting costs to the point of laying off workers. What’s worse — thousands of workers will lose their jobs, but there’s no sign of any government plan to help them.
“No aid package, no resettlement plan. Ministers are silent. As if nothing’s happening,” he added.
Ahmad Fadhli suggested the Prime Minister take a break and focus on his civil lawsuit.
“If this isn’t proof of economic mismanagement, are we going to wait until PETRONAS completely collapses to regret it? This PMX administration seems directionless.
“Take a break. Focus on the lawsuit filed by your former researcher, Muhammed Yusoff Rawther. The country is headed for disaster if this continues,” he said.
Previously, PETRONAS was expected to reduce its workforce by 10% as part of a company-wide restructuring to cut costs following the drop in crude oil prices.
Tengku Muhammad Taufik said around 5,000 employees would be affected, and they would be notified gradually throughout next year.
Quoting Bloomberg on Thursday, the decline in oil prices along with reduced output from aging assets is expected to pose challenges for the government, which in 2024 derived 10% of its national revenue from PETRONAS.
Before this, the President of Malay rights group PERKASA, Syed Hasan Syed Ali, received complaints — including an anonymous letter — from PETRONAS staff alleging sudden dismissals.
Syed Hasan also slammed the government’s failure to monitor PETRONAS’s performance and direction, which he said is increasingly worrying.
“The government isn’t monitoring what’s going on in PETRONAS at all. That’s why the country is in chaos,” he said, deeply regretful of the current situation. – HARAKAHDAILY 6/6/2025
