KUCHING: Bumiputera contractors in the oil and gas sector are encouraged to be more competitive to grow economically.
Sarawak Bumiputera Entrepreneur Chambers (DUBS) president Datuk Abang Helmi Tan Sri Ikhwan stressed that the Bumiputeras need to remain competitive with their methods and skills, regardless of their human resource skills.
“To compete, contractors need to have skills, which in turn will be able to generate more income for Sarawak and this gives us an advantage as Bumiputeras.
“Otherwise, we can only see others generating income and controlling the industry,” he said.
He said this during a press conference after officiating at the Oil and Gas Contractor Transformation Programme organised by Suarah Petroleum Group (SPG) and DUBS at a hotel here, today (Mar 20).
He advised contractors not only to work in companies owned by non-Bumiputeras but also in Bumiputera companies.
“In this way, we can see a more balanced socio economic trade in various sectors, especially in high income sectors,” he said.
Earlier in his speech, Helmi also called on Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (Petros) to award contracts to Bumiputera contractors for them to succeed in the petroleum industry.
“The idea is to give us enough opportunities to contribute to the industry and wellbeing of the Bumiputera community in Sarawak,” he said.
On the programme, Helmi said it focuses on the needs of small and medium (SME) oil and gas contractors who have been impacted by the recent Covid-19 pandemic and economic challenges, as well as sharing sessions by oil and gas experts.
About 110 participants from the oil and gas sector attended the programme which was also held in Miri and Bintulu last month.
Also present were SPG president Abang Iskandar Abang Muas, head of Energy Division, Ministry of Energy and Environmental Sustainability Ikmal Hisham Mahron and DUBS Kuching Branch chairman Drahman Jaladin.
