Gerawat: S’wak’s oil and gas industry rebounds with greater job opportunities

MIRI (Dec 3): Datuk Gerawat Gala expresses his optimism of the greater employment and business opportunities in Sarawak’s oil and gas industry which has gathered its momentum post Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Department (Labour, Immigration & Project Monitoring), some oil and gas companies had met and written to his ministry highlighting their needs to recruit more workers in the industry.

He disclosed that these companies had also highlighted their need to have non-resident workers including expatriates as they were not able to find suitable and qualified Sarawakian workers.

“When we approve work permits for non-Sarawakians, especially expatriates for long term jobs, we always make it a condition for the employers to train Sarawakians to take over the job in a few years,” he said.

“The ministry, however, gives utmost priority for Sarawakians like any other host country, and this is to enable the local people to progress into high paying jobs,” he explained.

“In other words, my ministry functions in a way that it provides employment security for Sarawakians and creates new job opportunities for the locals by getting them into higher paying jobs,” he explained.

Gerawat said this in his officiating address at the launching of the two-day Sarawak Oil and Gas Workers Association (Sogwa) Oil & Gas Career and Training Fair at Permy Mall here yesterday.

On a related matter, he disclosed that Sogwa president and exco members had also expressed their concern on employers recruiting non-Sarawakians to work in the state’s oil and gas industry.

“I have assured them that my ministry will ensure that eligible Sarawakians are given the priority and opportunity for the job recruitments.

“Only if employers cannot recruit local Sarawakians, then only we will approve work permits for employers to bring non-resident employees,” he said.

The government, he said, understood the investors’ and major industries’ needs to employ expatriates and skilled staff but it had also come up with its own human resource development strategy.

“Usually, approval for work permits for such expatriate positions is subject to them getting Sarawakians to take over the job after a few years.

“This is part of our strategy to create new and high paying jobs for Sarawakian, which is important for future economic growth,” he reiterated.

In his address, Gerawat also praised SOGWA and participating companies for taking the initiative to organise the fair which provided employment opportunities not only for SOGWA members, but also for other interested job seekers.

“SOGWA is an important partner in developing and growing our oil and gas industry as well as maintaining reputation of Sarawakians as among the best oil and gas professionals and experts,” he said.

At the function, Gerawat announced an RM20,000 grant for SOGWA to carry out its activities and training.

Present at the launching ceremony were Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Dato Sebastian Ting; Miri mayor cum Pujut assemblyman Adam Yii; SOGWA chairman Jamal Abdullah @ Tedong Chakaw and vice chairlady Keroana Johny Weiss.