Latest news with #ShahrilHamdan
Free Malaysia Today
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
I'll think about it, says KJ after Akmal offers to help with Umno return
Khairy Jamaluddin (left) said he will consider Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh's offer to help facilitate his return to Umno. KUALA LUMPUR : Khairy Jamaluddin has responded coolly to Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh's offer to help facilitate his return to the party. 'That's very nice of him,' he said briefly to reporters when met at a product launch event today. 'I'm thankful for his comments and support, and I'll certainly consider it.' Yesterday, Akmal said he was open to facilitating the return of suspended and sacked Umno leaders such as Khairy, Hishammuddin Hussein and Shahril Hamdan. 'Those who were disciplined had contributed in ways we cannot forget. That's why I say unity in Umno is crucial, and that unity cannot come from just one side,' he was quoted as saying. Akmal also said those who had been suspended or sacked must set aside their egos if they truly cared about the party. Khairy, himself a former Umno Youth chief and ex-Rembau MP and health minister, was sacked from Umno in January 2023 over alleged disciplinary breaches. The Sembrong Umno division has also passed a resolution urging the party leadership to lift the suspension of Hishammuddin. However, the former Umno vice-president has hinted that he will not appeal his suspension as he had not been officially informed of his wrongdoing.
New Straits Times
11-06-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Petronas layoffs reflect wider oil and gas challenges, says former PMO adviser
KUALA LUMPUR: Petroliam Nasional Bhd's (Petronas) decision to lay off more than 5,000 employees reflects the broader challenges facing the oil and gas sector, said a former economic director in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). In an episode of his podcast Keluar Sekejap, Shahril Hamdan said that, based on 2015 data, Petronas generated around RM6 million in revenue per employee, compared to other national oil companies (NOCs). Shahril said Brazil's Petrobras and Indonesia's Pertamina were generating higher revenue per employee in 2015, adding that Petronas — and the public — must accept that adjustments are necessary to remain competitive. He also said that the oil and gas landscape today is vastly different from that of the 1990s, when cost structures were lower and exploration was less technically challenging. Shahril, a former Umno information chief, had served in the PMO during the reign of Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob. With easy-to-access oil and gas fields already tapped, companies around the world today are operating under new constraints, he said. "In the United States, for instance, it's the clearest example, where even though many barrels of oil are produced, employment in this sector has decreased," Shahril said. Petronas president and group chief executive officer Tengku Tan Sri Muhammad Taufik had said that the company expects to reduce its headcount by "upwards of 5,000" as it right-sizes its workforce amid an evolving and increasingly challenging operating environment. Taufik added that all those affected will be informed by the end of the year. The national oil company will also freeze recruitments until December 2026. Petronas, which has some 52,000 employees globally, first announced in February this year that it was set to begin rightsizing its workforce by mid-2025.
New Straits Times
11-06-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Shahril Hamdan: Petronas job cuts reflect global O&G challenges
KUALA LUMPUR: Petroliam Nasional Bhd's (Petronas) move to potentially reduce its headcount by more than 5,000 is aligned with the broader challenges of the oil and gas sector, said former economic advisor to the Prime Minister's Office Shahril Hamdan. In an episode of his podcast 'Keluar Sekejap', Shahril said that, in data from 2015, Petronas generated around RM6 million in revenue per employee and compared that to other national oil companies (NOCs). "Petrobras, roughly 2 to 3 million US dollars per employee. Pertamina, more or less like us—1.5 to 2 million. Shahril, who is also ex-Umno information chief, said that Petronas, and the public, cannot deny that adjustments must be made to remain competitive. He highlighted the vastly different oil and gas landscape of today compared to the 1990s, when the cost structure was different and the technical difficulty of exploration was lower. He added that with easy-to-access oil and gas fields already tapped, companies around the world today are operating under new constraints. "In the United States, for instance, it's the clearest example, where even though many barrels of oil are produced, employment in this sector has decreased," Shahril said. Last Thursday (June 5), Petronas president and group chief executive officer Tengku Tan Sri Muhammad Taufik said the company expects to reduce its head count by "upwards of 5,000" as it right-sizes its workforce amid an evolving and increasingly challenging operating environment. Taufik added that all those affected will be informed by the end of the year. The national oil company will also freeze recruitments until December 2026. Petronas, which has some 52,000 employees globally, first announced in February this year that it was set to begin rightsizing its workforce by mid-2025. It would implement the new structure in phases and ensure the process is carried out in a structured manner.
Free Malaysia Today
10-06-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Petronas job cuts in line with industry norms, says Shahril
Petronas president and group CEO Tengku Muhammad Taufik Aziz said last week the company would cut about 10% of its workforce in a company-wide restructuring exercise. (Reuters pic) PETALING JAYA : Petronas' decision to lay off 5,000 workers is in line with the challenging global situation in the oil and gas industry, says a former economic director in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). In the latest episode of the Keluar Sekejap podcast, Shahril Hamdan also said Petronas's move was apt considering the national oil company's revenue per employee (RPE), which he said stood at RM6 million in 2015. 'The RPE of Petrobras is US$2 million to US$3 million… and Pertamina's is around US$1.5 million to US$2 million,' he said, referring to the state-owned oil companies of Brazil and Indonesia respectively. 'So there is a need for Petronas to be more optimal.' Shahril also said the public had to accept the fact that the oil and gas landscape had changed over the years. He said it was clear that Petronas – or any other oil and gas company – would have to evolve from the 1990s, when exploration costs were much lower. Shahril also said other large oil and gas companies had taken steps to reduce their workforce although their production levels might not have dipped. He said this was especially evident in the United States, which has seen a drop in oil and gas industry workers despite production still at a high level. 'However, the number of workers required has indeed decreased,' he said. 'So there is 'productivity gain', which is indeed normal in this industry.' A former Umno information chief, Shahril was an economic director in the PMO under former prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob. Last Thursday, Petronas president and group CEO Tengku Muhammad Taufik Aziz said the company would cut about 10% of its workforce in a company-wide restructuring exercise that was aimed at reducing costs due to falling crude prices. He said Petronas expects to reduce its headcount by more than 5,000 people and freeze hiring until December 2026. Deputy prime minister Fadillah Yusof later said Petronas's restructuring exercise was due to global challenges and was not linked to its dispute with Sarawak's state-owned gas aggregator, Petroleum Sarawak Bhd. Petronas has promised to support employees affected by the exercise, including by offering competitive separation packages.
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.
