KOTA KINABALU – Recent checks by the Immigration Department on oil rig workers in Sabah are not meant to deter investors, but to ensure Sabahans are hired in the state’s oil and gas industry, a Sabah minister said today.
State Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said the checks on two oil rigs in Sabah’s northern waters on August 1 was to ensure that workers are properly documented and hold valid work passes.
At the same time, he said the checks were also in line with the “Sabah First” to prioritise the local workforce, which he had mooted in the recently concluded Sabah assembly sitting.
“It was a routine check and did not aim to make it difficult for oil companies to carry out their operations in Sabah,” Masidi told The Vibes.
Immigration on Monday raided two oil rigs, checking the work documents of 307 Malaysians, one Indonesian, and three Myanmar nationals.
The raid was conducted following the refusal of the two oil companies to pay Sabah the state sales tax (SST) on petroleum products.
Masidi said that the companies which defaulted on their SST payment risked having their workers’ permits cancelled if they failed to settle their dues by October 1.
The companies, Repsol Oil and Gas Ltd and SEA Hibiscus Sdn Bhd, owe Sabah RM97.31 million in SST and late payment penalties.
The state’s “Sabah First” policy is to ensure Sabahans are given priority in the recruitment of workers in the O&G industry, especially at all offshore production facilities on Sabah waters.
“Offshore contractors must apply for work passes for all their non-Sabahan staff or workers, and the Chief Minister’s Department will only approve those that have no qualified Sabahans available for the job.
“The Chief Minister’s Department is continuously updating its database of technically qualified Sabahans to be offered to the oil and gas contractors to hire, if and whenever needed.
“On the same note, national oil company Petronas has also agreed to assist Sabah in the training and upscaling of Sabahans in the industry,” Masidi said to The Vibes.
No arrests were made on any of the oil rig workers during the raids. The operations were held to investigate violations under the Immigration Act, Immigration Regulations, Passport Act, Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act 2007, and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants 2007. – The Vibes, August 3, 2022
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