Datuk Raymond Tan (seated centre) and Ir. Paul Yap Kok Wai (left to Raymond) with the new executive committee of ACEM.
KOTA KINABALU: Engineers in Sabah should not be waiting for jobs in the oil and gas sector from Petronas, but act as entrepreneurs and grab opportunities available, said Industrial Development Minister Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Kiah.
He said that to wait for Petronas to provide jobs for local engineers is a long wait, however, the oil and gas activities in Sabah have generated many opportunites for the local engineers to grab.
“I am telling the engineers that they are good businessmen, and they should grab the opportunities created from the development resulting from the oil and gas industry in the State to make money and grow,” he said at a press conference during the Association of Consulting Engineers Malaysia (ACEM) Sabah Branch 2014 biennial dinner.
“I take the opportunity to address the engineers because I think that they are very good businessmen. If we look at the national agenda, what the State Government is trying to do, other than to get involved with the oil and gas activities, is for the locals to seize the opportunities from the ‘spill over’ (opportunities) that are created from the oil and gas industry here,” he explained.
Tan then gave examples that engineers could be or have been making money out of the development in Sipitang where the Sipitang Oil and Gas Industrial Park is being developed.
“A lot of infrastructure and buildings as well as water plant and electricity will need to be developed, and all these jobs are opportunities for the engineers,” he added.
Tan was responding to the statement from the outgoing ACEM Sabah Branch chairman, Ir. Fung Yin Khun, who said in his speech that the door of oil and gas sector has remain closed and is still out of bounds to Sabahan consulting engineers even after two years of requesting for consideration for local Sabah-based engineering firms to be involved in the sector.
“If there is any participation by local consulting engineering firms, it is kept to the minimum. We are still nowhere near penetrating into the oil and gas sector in the shores of Sabah as this is still a very closely guarded Petronas’ fortress,” Fung lamented.
“I pray that the future chairman will persist and continue to make presentations through the relevent channels until the local engineers have a major part in the oil and gas sector which rightly belong to us,” he said in his opening speech.
Meanwhile, Tan explained further to the engineers that the State Government is serious in driving economic growth and generating opportunities for Sabahans.
“We are not just waiting for the cash payment or royalty, we are more interested in the business. Do not wait for the door to be opened, as the government has created the opportunities for you to grab. Engineers, as good entrepreneurs, should look for opportunities,” he added.
Also in his opening speech, Tan urged engineering firms to increase the salary of fresh graduate engineers.
“Young graduates need to be paid more. I understand that they are paid quite less and I hope that they will be paid more,” he said while pointing out that the increase of wages of young graduates will prevent loss of human capital as they may seek opportunities outside Malaysia to get better pay.
During the dinner, Ir. Paul Yap Kok Wai was appointed as the new ACEM Sabah branch chairman and a new executive committee was formed.