Dateline 2019-02-19, NST:
Skilled local workforce has helped major oil and gas (O&G) cushion the global weak oil prices, ringgit fluctuations and foreign exchange (forex losses) over the past few years.
Analysts said companies such as Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas), Sapura Energy Bhd, Alam Maritim Bhd, Barakah Offshore Bhd and others has hired local professionals and technical and vocational education and training (TVET) graduates to reduce costs, which is part of the companies’ cost cutting measures.
Sunway University Business School Professor of Economics Dr Yeah Kim Leng said the O&G sector is a very specialised high technology sector which requires a lot of specialised skills to work at oil rigs and fabrication yards.
“In the early days, these niche areas required foreign expertise and was dominated by expatriates but now firms such as Petronas and Sapura no longer hire foreign professionals but source local engineers from the O&G field.
“This in turn has enabled the country to save a lot in terms of foreign exchange as it is very expensive to pay the foreign engineers.
“Now Malaysia is able to produce its own local oil and gas engineers, technicians and supervisors,” Yeah told NST Business recently.…
Posted by Wata 
Wata - Malaysian Oil and Gas Engineer 