Land jobs in O&G sector, youths told
Published on: Sunday, November 23, 2014
KOTA KINABALU: Youths should do something about landing big-paying jobs in the oil and gas industry. According to Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Tawfiq Abu Bakar Titingan on Saturday, 70 per cent of the total oil and gas money is for their taking as long as they focus on the related skill training. He said Sabah is still dependent on foreigners for expertise in the oil and gas industry due to the shortage of local experts to fill the jobs.
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"The truth is all we need is to focus our attention on the 70 per cent, we need to increase the number of skilled workforce and local specialised firms to take on a share in the remuneration and services sector that supports the oil and gas industry," he said. "I remembered when I was working as a chemical engineer with Shell Malaysia, I had the opportunity to meet them (foreigners) and ask them what they do," he added. "They are just welders, technicians and did not even have a university education, but they went on to earn around RM4,000 to RM5,000. Sabahans should get these jobs!"Tawfiq said Sabahans, rather than keep demanding Petroleum Carigali to increase its five per cent cash payment, are better off tapping into the 70 per cent opportunity.
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He said this in his speech to 65 Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) trainees who just graduated from the Workmen Training course held at the Skill Training Institute (ILP), here. He said based on a State Cabinet briefing recently, the Ministers were told the oil revenue breakdown is as such, five per cent for Sabah as cash payment and another five per cent to Putrajaya due to federalism.
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The remaining 90 per cent, only 20 per cent as profit for the oil firm, the rest of the 70 per cent are used as capital expenditure or cost for oil production. It's the cost for oil production, which Tawfiq was referring to in his speech. Still, Sabah is also increasing its share in the mainstream activity or the 20 per cent profit for oil firm, he said. He pointed out the creation of the M3nergy that had just inked a production-sharing contract with SapuraKencana Energy Inc and Petronas Carigali will see the State own up 25 per cent from the production for Blocks SB331 and SB332 on shore. Tawfiq pointed out with these new developments Sabah will be getting five per cent from cash payment and a fraction of the 20 per cent oil revenue, with 25 per cent through the M3nergy deal. Towards this end, spillover from the oil and gas revenue in State will see Sabah developing its agricultural zone in the East Coast using knowledge-based economy and creation of innovative products. Meanwhile, 99 per cent of the 65 trainees who graduated from the Workmen Training Course gained instant employment at SESB. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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