by DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Jan 31: Malaysia’s oil and gas industry (O&G) is facing a significant shortage in skilled manpower which are vital for plant safety and operational efficiency, particularly for the turnaround and shutdowns of plant operations, Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) says.
In its Activity Outlook 2025-2027, Petronas said it is planning approximately 50 turnarounds and shutdowns from 2025 to 2027 and with that, it requires a significant amount of manpower, peaking at around 25,000 workers by the second quarter of 2026 (2Q26) and 1Q27.
“Given the importance of both turnarounds and shutdowns, skilled manpower is essential and will significantly impact the safety and efficiency of the plant operations, further highlighting the need to address any skill gap in the industry.
“Currently, this sector is facing a significant talent shortage of skilled manpower which could impact the future of Malaysia’s O&G sector,” it said.
Based on Petronas’ plan, the turnarounds and shutdowns are scheduled from 2025 to 2027 and are mainly to be held in five regions; Sabah, Sarawak, Kertih, Melaka and Pengerang.
It noted that the sector is losing skilled workers to better opportunities, uncompetitive salaries, limited career development opportunities, inadequate work-life balance, increasingly attractive gig economy, and low awareness of available opportunities and training programmes available in the industry.
To address the manpower shortage issue in the O&G sector, Petronas presented several potential solutions including improving job prospects in the sector with more competitive salaries and career development.
It also suggested increasing talent engagement by collaborating with government agencies, certification bodies, OGSE players and learning institutions to educate talents and develop programmes to address the skill gaps.
It further suggested awareness campaigns and scholarship programmes to attract interest among the younger generations.
“The skilled manpower shortage issue in Malaysia’s oil and gas industry is a significant challenge that requires immediate focus.
“By implementing viable solutions, Malaysia shall facilitate its oil and gas industry in remaining competitive, innovative and capable of driving economic growth,” it said. – DayakDaily
