Gerakan wants answers on Petronas' reported Canada exit
Gerakan has urged the government to come clean over Petronas' alleged plan to divest from its liquid natural gas (LNG) venture in Canada.
This comes after a report claimed that the national oil company was mulling options for its Canadian company, Progress Energy Resources Corp, including a sale.
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The Star
29 minutes ago
- The Star
Carney invites Modi to G7 summit despite strained ties between Canada and India
FILE - A photograph of late temple president Hardeep Singh Nijjar is seen on a banner outside the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara Sahib in Surrey, British Columbia, on Sept. 18, 2023. Tensions remain high between Canada and India over accusations about Indian government agents being involved in his murder. - AP TORONTO: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Friday (June 6) invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the G7 summit in Alberta later this month, an invitation Modi accepted despite strained ties between the countries. The countries expelled each other's top diplomats last year over the killing of a Sikh Canadian activist in Canada and allegations of other crimes. The invitation prompted anger from the World Sikh Organisation of Canada, which wrote to Carney in May asking him not to invite Modi. Tensions remain high between Canada and India over accusations about Indian government agents being involved in the murder of a Canadian activist for Sikh separatism in British Columbia in 2023. Carney extended the invitation to Modi in a phone call between the two leaders on Friday. The summit runs from June 15 to 17. Carney noted Canada is in the role of G7 chair and said there are important discussions that India should be a part of. "India is the fifth largest economy in the world, the most populous country in the world and central to supply chains," Carney told reporters, adding that there has been some progress on law enforcement dialogue between the two countries. "I extended the invitation to Prime Minister Modi and, in that context, he has accepted,' Carney said. Carney said there is a legal process underway in the killing of the Canadian Sikh activist and said he would not comment on the case when asked by a reporter if he thought Modi was involved. The tit-for-tat expulsions came after Canada told India that its top diplomat in the country is a person of interest in the 2023 assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, and that police have uncovered evidence of an intensifying campaign against Canadian citizens by agents of the Indian government. Modi said he was glad to receive a call from Carney and congratulated him on his recent election victory. "As vibrant democracies bound by deep people-to-people ties, India and Canada will work together with renewed vigour, guided by mutual respect and shared interests. Look forward to our meeting at the summit,' Modi said in a social media statement. Nijjar, 45, was fatally shot in his pickup truck after he left the Sikh temple he led in Surrey, British Columbia. An Indian-born citizen of Canada, he owned a plumbing business and was a leader in what remains of a once-strong movement to create an independent Sikh homeland. Four Indian nationals living in Canada were charged with Niijar's murder. Balpreet Singh, legal counsel and spokesperson for the World Sikh Organisation of Canada, called Carney's invitation to Modi a "betrayal of Canadian values.' "The summit to which Mr. Modi is being invited falls on the anniversary of the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar two years ago,' he said. "So for us, this is unacceptable, it's shocking and it's a complete reversal of the principled stand that Prime Minister Trudeau had taken.' Canada is not the only country that has accused Indian officials of plotting an assassination on foreign soil. In 2023 US prosecutors said an Indian government official directed a failed plot to assassinate another Sikh separatist leader in New York. - AP
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Cuts hit contract workers
Meeting of minds: Anwar receiving a courtesy call from Muhammad Shahrul in Putrajaya. — Photo courtesy of Anwar's Facebook page PUTRAJAYA: The move by PETRONAS to trim its workforce by about 10% involves mostly contract workers, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. 'It mostly involves contract (positions),' Anwar said when asked to comment on reports that PETRONAS would cut about 5,000 employees as part of a 'right-sizing' process. Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said this after performing Friday prayers with over 500 congregants at Surau Al-Ikhwan, Jalan Pinggiran Putra, near here yesterday, Bernama reported. Also present was Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari. On Thursday, PETRONAS president and group chief executive officer Tan Sri Tengku Muhammad Taufik Tengku Kamadjaja Aziz was reported to have said that the national oil and gas company would cut about 10% of its workforce as part of its right-sizing and restructuring process. He also denied that the state-owned company would exit its business in Canada. PETRONAS had previously stated that it needs to right-size its workforce to ensure the company's sustainability in the decades to come. It has nearly 50,000 employees, according to its website. Separately, Anwar said he would contact his Thai counterpart, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, regarding the border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia. Anwar said that as the Asean Chair, Malaysia took note of the developments in both countries. 'We will issue a statement (on the outcome of the discussion with Paetongtarn) later,' he told reporters. On May 28, Thai and Cambodian troops were involved in a brief skirmish in Thailand's Ubon Ratchathani province and Cambodia's Preah Vihear province, which resulted in the death of a Cambodian soldier. Cambodia has since announced its intention to bring the border dispute to the International Court of Justice. Thailand, meanwhile, has reportedly reiterated its commitment to resolving the issue peacefully in accordance with international law, as well as existing agreements and memoranda with Cambodia. Earlier, Anwar received a courtesy call from the new Malaysian Ambassador to the United States, Tan Sri Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakob. Anwar said that they discussed, among others, measures to strengthen bilateral ties between Malaysia and the United States, including strategic efforts to attract quality and high-impact foreign investments. 'Among (the topics) touched on included strengthening Malaysia-US ties as well as efforts to attract quality and high-impact foreign investments from the country,' he said in a Facebook post today. The Prime Minister also wished Muhammad Shahrul all the best on his appointment, while stating his confidence in the former to elevate Malaysia's aspirations, image and reputation to the highest level. On June 3, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, presented the instrument of appointment to Muhammad Shahrul in a ceremony at Istana Negara.
Borneo Post
3 hours ago
- Borneo Post
Petronas workforce 'right-sizing' prompts calls for fairness, support measures
File photo for illustration purposes KUCHING (June 7): Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier's Department (Labour, Immigration and Project Monitoring) Datuk Gerawat Gala has urged Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) to consider all alternatives before proceeding with its plan to lay off 5,000 employees. Speaking to The Borneo Post today, the Mulu assemblyman acknowledged that while Petronas may have its own justifications, retrenchment should be the last resort for any commercial organisation. 'There are other options Petronas can consider, such as offering a voluntary separation scheme (VSS), redeploying staff between departments — for example, from upstream to downstream — implementing temporary salary cuts, or initiating retraining programmes,' he said. 'Only employees who are truly redundant or surplus to requirements should be laid off. Any staff member who feels they have been unfairly dismissed under the guise of redundancy can challenge their termination in the Industrial Court.' When asked whether the layoffs were related to Sarawak Petroleum Berhad (Petros) being recognised as the state's gas aggregator, Gerawat declined to comment. However, the Sarawak Oil and Gas Workers Association (SOGWA) said they do not believe the move is a direct result of Petros' appointment, though acknowledged it may trigger a realignment within the industry. 'This change presents an opportunity for Sarawak to assert greater control over its oil and gas sector,' said SOGWA deputy chairman Keroana Johny Weiss. 'But if Sarawakians are among those affected by the layoffs, it will significantly impact local families and communities. 'Many of these workers are highly skilled and experienced professionals who have contributed significantly to the national oil and gas industry,' she stressed. 'Their displacement not only affects livelihoods but also risks a loss of valuable talent from Sarawak.' 'We strongly urge the Sarawak government to step in and provide structured support such as job placement programmes, upskilling initiatives, and inclusion in ongoing and future state led projects,' she said. 'This is vital to safeguard Sarawak's interests, retain our professional resources, and ensure Sarawakians continue to play a key role in managing and developing our state's natural wealth,' she added. Labour Law Reform Coalition (LLRC) deputy chairman Andrew Lo echoed similar sentiments. While acknowledging that layoffs can be inevitable in the corporate world, he stressed that they must be executed with fairness and transparency. 'What must done is that the layoff must be a last resort, be made in good faith, with full consultation with employees and their unions, adequate compensation and feasible options and assistance to those affected- transition and training for new jobs.' Voluntary and mutual agreeable exit schemes should be implemented instead of forced retrenchment, he added. Such schemes should be offered to everyone to minimise coercion and undue pressure on employees, Lo added. According to Bernama report on Thursday, Petronas President and Chief Executive Officer Tengku Tan Sri Muhammad Taufik Tengku Aziz has said that Petronas would cut about 10 per cent of its workforce as part of the national oil and gas company's 'right-sizing' and restructuring process. Muhammad Taufik also denied that the state-owned company would exit its business in Canada. Petronas had previously stated that it needs to 'right-size' its workforce to ensure the company's sustainability in the decades to come. Petronas has nearly 50,000 employees, according to its website. gerawat gala Keroana Johny Weiss Petronas right size workforce
