Malacca Johore Diocese News Update #222
Implosion is expected within PKR; Petronas-Petros dispute continues; unhappy doctors march to Putrajaya, a DAP rep reminds a politician that the nation belongs to all, not just the Malays. May 16, 2025
Welcome dear friends.
Local takes: 'No man is an island. No man stands alone.' In a borderless and globalised world, can we remain untouched, untaught and unlearning? The US tariffs talks, if it fails, investors may divest and move elsewhere; supply chain disruptions, cost inflation and order cancellations occur; companies with investments here may relocate; Malaysia may become the dumping ground for cheap products. The US cited Malaysia's halal import restrictions and bumiputra equity requirements and others as trade barriers.
Other interesting ripples: Implosion is expected within PKR; Petronas-Petros dispute continues; unhappy doctors march to Putrajaya, a DAP rep reminds a politician that the nation belongs to all, not just the Malays. A MACC witness disappears on the way there. Plans to revive the direct train link from KL and Bangkok are underway, while Johor waits for Spore-JB RTS and the ETS from Gemas.
Conclave Times. There will be lobbying. Yet the Holy Spirit is at work too. Going right or going left, conservative or progressive, hierarchical or Synodal — we have yet to see. The prayers everywhere are for continuity and building upon the legacy of Pope Francis. Note the four absolute conditions highlighted by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, for the good and future of the Church — a good and charitable Church, doctrinally secure, governed according to the rule of law, and deeply united internally. The Cardinals had also reflected on the hermeneutic of continuity between the pontificates of St John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. There is a call on re-visiting the role of the Eucharist, the Church's evangelising mission, scandals, liturgy, and canon law. As you read this article, we may already have our new pope.
A Thought For The Week: ABQO. An employee, 'A', asked his manager for his task of the day. The manager asked him to cross a river. 'A' completed the task successfully and reported back. The manager said, 'Good job.' The next day, Employee 'B' received the same task. While crossing the river, 'B' noticed Employee 'C' struggling with the same task. He helped 'C' across and then reported back. The manager said, 'Very good job.' On the third day, Employee 'Q' received the same task but did some research beforehand. He consulted 'A', 'B', and 'C', documented the process, identified common mistakes, and created a guide for future reference. He then completed the task and presented the documentation to the manager, who said, 'Excellent job.' Finally, Employee 'O' was assigned the task. After reviewing 'Q's' guide, he realised the company was wasting resources on this repetitive task. Instead of crossing the river, he designed and implemented a bridge, eliminating the need for future crossings. The manager said, 'Outstanding job.'
Lesson from ABQO: A: Completed the task as expected. B: Completed the task and helped a colleague, demonstrating teamwork. Q: Created a knowledge base to improve efficiency, showing leadership and foresight. O: Innovated by solving the root problem, adding long-term value to the company. While doing what is expected brings satisfaction, going above and beyond — through helping others, creating resources, or solving underlying issues — leads to outstanding success. Initiative and out-of-the-box thinking are the keys to lasting impact.
Something's Happening Near You:
1. The diocese prepares for the Training of Trainers Programme on Synodality, the changes that are expected, the conversions needed, the spirituality required to sustain this new Pentecost. Ignorance is not bliss. 2. The PSO MJD will be conducting a Safeguarding of Minors Workshop on July 5 (9.00am - 1.00pm) at Majodi Centre for Tamil-speaking parents, youth leaders and catechists.
QnQ! Q asks? 'The voice that says 'You can't', where is it coming from?' 1. The voice that says 'You can't' isn't yours. it's your paradigm. (A paradigm is a group of habits and a habit is an idea that has been fixed in your unconscious mind through repetition.) 2. Your conscious mind has the power to reject ideas. But your subconscious mind doesn't — it accepts whatever you feed it over and over. That's why repetition is so powerful. Every time you impress a new belief or image on your subconscious mind, you're building a new paradigm. One that aligns with who you want to become. 3. But don't be surprised when the old paradigm resists. It'll whisper things like: 'Who do you think you are? You've never done that before. You don't have what it takes.' That's not your truth — that's your programming. 4. You can override it. You can rewire it. But it takes awareness, repetition, and belief. 5. Keep feeding your mind the truth about your potential — and you'll create the life you want.' - Bob Proctor. (Shift and repeat, that's the 'magic'.) The Holy Spirit @work: 'And He departed from our sight that we might return to our heart, and there find Him. For He departed, and behold, He is here.' St Augustine
Something To Tickle You: 'Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.' Michael Jordan
Bishop Bernard Paul
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His statements underscore the need for accountability - not only for party supporters but for the Malaysian people who desire tangible improvements in governance. The acknowledgement of the gap between promises and performance highlights Wong's commitment to genuine progress. By speaking truthfully about the shortcomings of his party, he aims to spur necessary conversations that could ultimately lead to constructive change. Some within the PKR grassroots might feel frustrated with him for his candidness, but it is essential to realise that speaking the truth is not a fault but rather a responsibility. Open dialogue about the challenges faced by the party cultivates an environment where constructive criticism can flourish. Wong's reflection on these issues is rooted in his desire for the party to succeed and fulfil its commitments to the people. PKR activists and supporters should understand that his honesty aims to strengthen the party and not undermine it. His insight into the current state of PKR and the Madani government should be recognised as a courageous step toward fostering accountability and progress. As he reflects on his political future, one can hope that his experience abroad will empower him with a renewed focus on how best to serve the people of Subang and contribute to Malaysia's political landscape. Meerkat: Wong is still aligned with the original PKR aspirations. If he's now deemed as not aligned with the party, it's only because the party has shifted. The party should do a lot of soul-searching and get back on track. Otherwise, it will lose the support of many. Sure, they won't vote for Harapan, but they are not obliged to vote for Subang PKR deputy chief Dr Wan Hasifi Amin Wan Zaidon either. PurpleJaguar0553: Why should Wong quit? He was elected by the people based on PKR's promise of reforms. 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BluePanther4725: Why can't a PKR MP criticise his own party? Seems like PKR only wants Pak Turuts (yes men). PKR has lost all its vision for 'reformasi' and does not practise democracy. PKR is rapidly morphing into Umno. PKR is getting rid of those who dare to speak out, like former deputy president Rafizi Ramli, former vice president Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, and now Wong Chen. PKR is on the path towards self-destruction under Anwar. RedMarlin1833: PKR was always the 'weakling' in a few coalitions it was in before. Not much grassroots support, and now it is going to face a huge backlash in the next general election! The infighting continues, and now another one in the party will probably give up his post. Good luck! Pink: Endless fight for positions in PKR. I heard that Anwar would spend more time with the party to meet and consolidate the grassroots. This does not seem to be happening. This is what happens when the mission for reforms is no longer firmly upheld by the members. Nothing in common to hold them together. Every man fights for himself to grab the war loot. The process of attrition has started in the party. Gasinggeorge: You could easily defend his points, but the truth is that he came out criticising his party while at the same time announcing planned reflections on his career at an expensive foreign retreat. This is weird, to say the least. OrangeJaguar9341: Rejecting hard truths and then maligning the person who expressed them is immature and pathetic. Those in PKR who want to continue to live in a fantasy Madani-ville should not be so threatened by those who are more evaluative and realistic. The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. In the past year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now. 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We are committed to delivering safe, reliable and sustainable solutions.' Portfolio recalibration Tengku Muhammad Taufik says portfolio 'correction' will be a constant feature as the group seeks to balance risk, return and capital outlay. On Canada, he clarifies that PETRONAS is not exiting the market. 'We are constantly entertaining overtures and proposals. That is going to be the natural course of business and it is a very, very resource-endowed geography. It is clearly positioned,' he notes. 'We see it as crucial to our ambitions to preserve our position in market share in the LNG space.' He adds that the group's central hypothesis is 'we want to build a gas position there'. 'If we are talking of proposals to take the position or take part of that, we will evaluate it. 'But exiting is not on our mind,' he confirms. In March, PETRONAS sold its 50% stake in the La Amarga Chica shale oil block to Vista Energy for around US$1.5bil. Tengku Muhammad Taufik says the decision was driven by mounting costs and tightening margins across the oil and gas sector. 'It is increasingly risky and ridiculously cost-intensive to be in oil and gas. When the fields were easier, our profit before tax margin was 35% to 40%. 'Today it's 25% to 30%. These margins are just going to keep shrinking. The fields are going to get smaller and smaller. 'So, PETRONAS 2.0 has to change this to an organisation that monetises molecules commercially and competitively. We will still have a very competitive upstream. 'This will still mean we want to preserve our leadership position in LNG. But over and above that, we have to build an energy superstore.' Yet, Tengku Muhammad Taufik acknowledges that the energy giant company is simply 'not agile enough'. 'Over the long run, not only asset correction or business portfolio optimisation is going to be required, we've got to take a look at the workforce,' he says. This means 10% – or more than 5,000 – employees will be laid off. 'We've got to start deleting positions because the work we carry out will no longer be relevant or value-adding as we move to PETRONAS 2.0,' he notes. Returning PETRONAS scholars will still have a job upon completing their studies. Even if oil prices were at US$100 per barrel today, he says the company must change. It is estimated that for every dollar drop in the price of Brent crude oil, PETRONAS' profit will fall by about RM1bil. Brent crude oil was US$63.68 per barrel at the time of writing. The company has a RM32bil dividend target for financial year 2025 to the federal government based on an assumed oil price range of US$75 to US$80. PETRONAS feels it can still afford this although it's a large chunk of profit. Should crude oil hover around US$50 to US$60 a barrel, many players will fall off – especially those in shale and deepwater – as they struggle to break even. And as competition for market share intensifies and prices head south, global growth forecasts may need to be revised downwards – particularly if the trade war drags on. To adapt, PETRONAS is prioritising 'advantaged barrels' – low-cost, low-carbon, fast-monetising resources – as the foundation of its upstream strategy. In this, the importance of a responsive domestic oil and gas services and equipment (OGSE) ecosystem is not to be understated. Just to maintain what PETRONAS produces, it will invest RM15bil to RM20bil per year. Including other production sharing contractor, total upstream spending could reach RM60bil to RM70bil annually. The OGSE players will also need to adapt to oil companies which will seek out the best bang for the buck. Tengku Muhammad Taufik says the joint declaration (JD) signed a couple of weeks ago between the federal government and Sarawak marks an encouraging step, spelling out how federal and state laws will co-exist under a proposed framework. 'The JD reflects that there is an acknowledgement by both state and federal that PETRONAS upholds its role under Petroleum Development Act 1974 (PDA 1974),' he says, adding that it also recognises PETRONAS' existing obligations in the LNG space – including upstream operations and third-party sales and purchase agreements. 'It acknowledges that PETRONAS has been accorded the right under PDA 1974 to carry out activities in the full chain of oil and gas undertakings,' he notes. 'And while there is now mention of Petros as an aggregator – not the sole aggregator – we will work together to support the aspirations of the state.' Specifically, the JD outlines a target to deliver 1.2 billion cubic ft per day to the state and positions Sarawak as a potential energy hub for Asean. 'There is also language that prescribes that Petros and PETRONAS shall collaborate in these undertakings,' Tengku Muhammad Taufik adds. The state has also agreed to exempt PETRONAS and its subsidiaries from licensing requirements. However, he points out that the next step is translating the JD principles into a workable framework. He emphasises that PETRONAS will continue to promote Sarawak as a key investment destination. 'We will not shirk from this. In fact, if anything, we'll be drawing in more players.' Tengku Muhammad Taufik also underlines the importance of preserving the LNG value chain, citing the location advantage of Bintulu and PETRONAS' long-standing record as a trusted supplier. 'It takes only about a week to ship to some of our core markets from Bintulu,' he says. 'We've served some customers since 1983... helped them through blackouts, through Fukushima, through energy crises, through Covid-19.' He cautions that PETRONAS' reputation – decades in the making – must not be put at risk. 'While the reputation of a trusted partner takes decades to build, it'll take one bad deal to just unwind.'
