Latest news with #ShahrilHamdan
Free Malaysia Today
28-05-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Rafizi can still play powerful role outside Cabinet, says Shahril
Former Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan said Rafizi Ramli should not be seen as sulking or becoming irrelevant by resigning, but rather as someone who can continue contributing from outside the government. PETALING JAYA : Former PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli is likely to remain influential in the party even after stepping down from his Cabinet position, says former Umno leader Shahril Hamdan. Shahril, a former Umno information chief, said the outgoing economy minister still brings unique value to PKR's campaign efforts, despite losing the party's No 2 post to Nurul Izzah Anwar. 'Rafizi can still play a role as one of the most unmatched campaigners in PKR, and can still build a movement that contributes to the party's struggle without appearing to abandon it,' he said in the latest 'Keluar Sekejap' podcast episode, which was recorded before Rafizi's resignation. Before the PKR polls, Rafizi had said he would quit as the economy minister and go back to being a regular MP if he failed to be re-elected as the deputy president. Shahril said Rafizi should not be seen as sulking or becoming irrelevant by resigning, but rather as someone who can continue contributing from outside the government. 'He can still play a powerful role outside the Cabinet, campaigning, mobilising, inspiring the base (voters). He's unmatched in that area within PKR. He can still build a movement that contributes to the party, without being in government,' he said. Shahril also dismissed claims by analysts that the deputy presidency race was a victory for grassroots-friendly candidates over those perceived as elitist. 'Just because someone is intellectual or policy-focused doesn't mean they're out of touch with the grassroots. You can be both. 'There are people with both intellectual standing and grassroots connection. And there are also those who lack both. But in overly simplistic analyses, we reduce things to black and white,' he said, citing outgoing natural resources and environmental sustainability minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad as an example. 'There were claims that Nik Nazmi didn't serve Setiawangsa well. I don't know. We're not there, and we're not PKR members there. But I think that view is too simplistic. 'The more important issue is this: this election could mark a turning point for PKR. What happens next will determine whether this is a generational renewal – where new leaders rise – or the moment when some supporters begin to lose faith in the party,' he said. 'Nurul Izzah must now prove she's worthy' Shahril's co-host, former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin, said while Nurul Izzah's win was decisive, it has revived talk of nepotism in PKR due to her being the daughter of party president and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Khairy said the burden is on Nurul Izzah to prove that her win was based on merit and not family ties, adding that the real test for her would come during the next general election. 'It's now up to her and the party to dispel that perception (of nepotism). She must prove not just to her supporters, but especially to sceptics, that she can match or surpass Rafizi in certain aspects. If not, that perception will stick and that could have serious long-term consequences,' he said.
Free Malaysia Today
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Shahril, KJ see Nurul Izzah as current favourite in PKR race
Khairy Jamaluddin (left) and Shahril Hamdan noted that the party elections carried political risks for PKR, depending on who emerged victorious. (Facebook pic) PETALING JAYA : Two former Umno leaders believe that Nurul Izzah Anwar is in the lead in the race for the PKR deputy presidency, and suggest that the party is rallying behind her although she returned only recently to frontline politics. Shahril Hamdan said Nurul Izzah's sudden entry into the race had upset the status quo. It was initially expected that the PKR presidency and deputy presidency would not be contested. 'And within a week, we can see that the 'establishment' is with her,' said Shahril, a former Umno information chief, in the latest episode of the Keluar Sekejap podcast. Shahril then remarked on Rafizi's 'unique' style of campaigning, when the latter recently urged party members to vote for Nurul Izzah, a remark which Rafizi later admitted was him just being cynical. Shahril also noted that Rafizi had threatened to resign from his ministerial post if he lost at the election next week, which the former felt was a calculated move to frame the contest. 'I feel he is being cheeky. He's saying he would resign if he loses but at the same time suggesting that some people – maybe Nurul Izzah – lost in the general election but still want to contest.' Khairy Jamaluddin said the context of her loss in the 2022 general election mattered. 'Yes, there's talk that she couldn't even win her seat, so why contest? But we need to look at the context. There was a huge wave in the north. Even someone like Reezal Merican Naina Merican (of Umno) couldn't defend Kepala Batas,' said Khairy, a former Umno Youth chief. 'Sometimes, voters pick the candidate. Sometimes they don't even look at who's contesting. That's politics,' he said. Both men noted that the party elections carried political risks for PKR, depending on who emerged victorious. 'If Rafizi wins, people might say there's a split with Anwar. If Nurul Izzah wins, then Perikatan Nasional will harp on nepotism,' Shahril said. Khairy played down the long-term impact of either outcome, saying the people would have moved on by the next general election. 'If Rafizi wins, he'll build a new narrative that there's no movement to reject Anwar. If Izzah wins, the script is already there – she'll say people voted her in and that every party has family members involved. It's defensible,' Khairy said. He also highlighted the differing campaign styles of the two candidates, with Rafizi focussing heavily on data and graphs to highlight declining support among Malay, Chinese and Indian voters – a strategy he said was aimed at showing that the latter is 'best equipped' to fix the party's challenges. 'Izzah, to her credit, hasn't focussed on Rafizi. She's focussed on unity within PKR,' Khairy said.
Free Malaysia Today
08-05-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Malaysia ‘addicted' to low wages, says Shahril
Shahril Hamdan said during his time in the PMO, he received pushback when proposing to reduce the ratio between CEO salaries and the median wage of companies, beginning with GLCs. PETALING JAYA : The economy needs a major reset as Malaysia's low wage-to-GDP ratio, or labour income share, means the country is too reliant on low wages, says former Umno leader Shahril Hamdan. In the most recent episode of #KenaSoal on the Keluar Sekejap podcast, he said the nation's economic structure prioritises or 'seems addicted' to low wages. 'Like it or not, when we talk about Malaysia's competitiveness and attractiveness for foreign direct investment, we say the unit cost of labour is low. 'Which is true, but I also feel slightly guilty about this,' he said. Shahril, who was formerly also an economic director in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) under former prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, was discussing Malaysian wage inequality with fellow host and former minister Khairy Jamaluddin. Earlier, Khairy said Malaysia's low labour income share, last recorded to be 32.4% in 2022 according to the statistics department, pales in comparison to Korea and Japan, where it ranges from 50% to 70%. 'This means employers and companies (abroad) pay more than they keep in the form of shareholder dividends or profits. 'The ratio of salaries between CEOs and normal employees is not as big as it is in Malaysia. Our CEOs' salaries are too big compared with the average worker in a company. 'Our capitalism prioritises shareholder profits and CEO salaries over wages for the average worker,' he said. Shahril agreed, saying that during his time in the PMO, he had proposed that a threshold be set for the ratio between CEO salaries and the median wage in Malaysian companies, beginning with GLCs. He said he tried to have such a threshold made mandatory but received pushback. 'Among the ways I suggested mandating a reduction in this ratio was a carrot-and-stick approach. 'So if a private company can prove that the ratio between a CEO's salary and your company's median wage does not exceed a certain threshold, we can possibly cut X per cent of your tax rate, or provide a tax rebate in some way. 'Conversely, we could penalise you with a higher tax rate if your ratio was too high. That idea didn't go anywhere,' he said.
Free Malaysia Today
03-05-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Solve gas row with sincerity, not confrontation, says Shahril
Shahril Hamdan said not resolving the tensions between Petronas and Petros may result in a lose-lose scenario. PETALING JAYA : Former Umno leader Shahril Hamdan has urged Petronas and its Sarawak counterpart Petros to resolve their dispute over gas distribution with sincerity in their commercial discussions. He urged them to have direct discussions, to avoid dragging the federal and state governments into a fight that could otherwise be settled across the table. 'Petronas and Petros must talk first. There's no need to escalate things unless absolutely necessary. A win-win outcome is still possible,' Shahril said in the Keluar Sekejap podcast with Khairy Jamaluddin. Failure to resolve the tensions may result in a lose-lose scenario, affecting investors and the country's image as a stable oil and gas player. Amid the tussle between Petronas and Petros, the US energy giant ConocoPhillips is reported to have pulled out of a RM13.7 billion deepwater oil project off Sarawak. The legal uncertainties between Petronas and Petros contributed to the decision, according to analysts, while ConocoPhillips blamed weak oil prices. Sarawak claims authority over gas distribution under its Distribution of Gas Ordinance 2016, while Petronas maintains its position under the federal Petroleum Development Act 1974. Shahril said the two laws 'can be read harmoniously' if both sides act in good faith. Khairy said the situation reflects broader issues of federal-state relations and warned that prolonged disputes could bring down investor confidence and disrupt national energy policy. The federal government previously said Petronas and Sarawak had reached an understanding to allow both legal frameworks to coexist.
New Straits Times
03-05-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Everyone loses in Petronas-Petros conflict — Shahril Hamdan
KUALA LUMPUR: Former Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan says ConocoPhillips' withdrawal from a US$3.13 billion project off Sarawak is a lose-lose outcome for both Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) and Petroleum Sarawak Bhd (Petros). He made the remarks on the KeluarSekejap podcast, referring to the United States oil major's exit from the Salam-Patawali deepwater project, which it had been jointly developing with Petronas. "This is a lose-lose case, where everyone loses and no one benefits. It should have been about finding a win-win solution," he said. Shahril's comments came amid a legal dispute between Petronas and the Sarawak government, which he said should not have escalated to this point. "It now appears the dispute is hurting everyone involved," he said, adding that efforts should be made to reach a commercially sound solution. ConocoPhillips, which discovered the field in 2018, pulled out of the RM13.7 billion (US$3.13 billion) venture this month following what sources described as a "country strategy review", according to Channel News Asia (CNA). Industry sources told CNA that the move was partly triggered by regulatory uncertainties arising from tensions between Petronas and the Sarawak government. The Sarawak government, which owns Petros, has been pushing for greater control over its natural resources. On Tuesday, it issued a legal notice to Petronas' upstream arm, Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd, accusing the company of operating without a permit at its Miri Crude Oil Terminal. The notice, dated April 30, cited a breach of Section 7(e) of the Distribution of Gas Ordinance (DGO) 2016, which requires a licence for the construction, management or maintenance of gas pipelines or related facilities. It gives the company 21 days to comply or face penalties under Section 21A. Petronas has confirmed receiving the notice and said Petronas Carigali is operating under the Petroleum Development Act 1974 (PDA 1974). Commenting on the legal conflict, Shahril said the PDA and DGO laws could be read harmoniously or as contradictory, depending on interpretation. "Harmonising them requires human intervention and a genuine desire to make them work together," he said.
