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For most of us, Petronas is just another Malaysian GLC - one that we see every day, and possibly even give business to on a regular basis - same la... like Unifi, or Tenaga Nasional.

However, you don't see your former PM geting booted off the board on those other companies.

In fact, Petronas has been in the news recently for cutting 1000 staff, and needing to borrow money! But aside from being Malaysia's only oil and gas company, what makes Petronas so special, and so important to Malaysians? As we started exploring, we realised one thing - there's ALOT we don't know about Petronas, and we should. Why? Because it supplies around 30% of our GDP. Yep. One company pays for 30% (some even say 40%) of Malaysia.

If that blew your mind, wait till you see what else we found out...

1. Forbes named them the most profitable company in frickin' ASIA (!)

Back in July 2008, crude oil reached a historic peak of US$145 per barrel, which would of course move many petroleum companies to the top of Forbes list, making Petronas the most profitable company in ASIA that year. Yep... that beat Samsung, Sony, and even Toyota (!).

Coincidentally, that was also the first year that Petronas listed its annual reports publicly on their website. Keep in mind they don't ACTUALLY need to do this, since they aren't publicly listed. They're actually 100% owned by the Malaysian government (which technically makes them a GOC, not a GLC). More on this later 😉

But it's comforting to know that even in recent times with prices of oil down to an all time low (1 litre only RM1.60 in Malaysia - cheaper than Teh Ais), Petronas is still the only Malaysian company on Forbes Global500 (still number 68 in 2015). However, the sheer drop in price of oil has slashed their profits by more than half from RM53.7 billion to a 'mere' RM19.6 billion.

When everything billion billion, it's easier to consider that...

2. They have never cut staff before 2016

First of all, 1000-staff cut from Petronas is actually a speck of their total 51,000 total staff count! BUT, what is remarkable is that Petronas have never done any sort of company-wide staff reduction policy (although they were rumoured to have done salary reductions in early 2015, which they denied). That's great for the employees because based on this 127-page Lowyat Forum thread about working in Petronas, it seems like a pretty sweet place to work. Even freshies can earn up to RM4k a month!

Sadly, the place is also known to have its share of lazier employees, with one of their ex-employees sharing this experience.

"Because there are login checks,they come in at 730am sharp and switch on their computer. Then they go for breakfast come back at 930 do some work until 12 they go out for a 2-hour lunch. By 5pm, finish work" - anonymous ex-Petronas employee.

Which is probably why Petronas are looking at these staff cuts in the first place. Between 2008 and 2014, employee count almost doubled, which means that even with this 1000-staff cut, they aren't going much lower than their 2015 figures.

UPDATE: Some fans on our Facebook page have responded by standing up for Petronas employees.

Having said that tho, staffing only represents 3% of their total cost. But with oil prices dropping thru the floor, every bit counts.... especially when...

3. They pay DOUBLE the tax of a normal Malaysian company

So corporate tax is what us poor companies pay the gomen everytime we earn money. If you're below RM500k in revenue (which CILISOS was last year), you pay 19% of your revenues. If you earn more? 24%.

Unfortunately for Petronas, there's something called the Petroleum Income Tax, which is taxed at 38%! So this means for every RM1 they earn, the government gets RM0.38. They also have to pay state taxes as well, in the states they mine out of, resulting in mind-boggling amounts of annual payments between RM50-80billion (although it's expected to be less than 50 billion in 2016).

ON TOP of that, they also pay a dividend to the government which varies depending on their profit. While we're not sure of the exact formula, in 2015 it was RM26billion, and this year it'll be RM16 billion.

Actually, this isn't TOO BAD a deal because...

4. ALL oil deposits in Malaysia automatically belong to Petronas

Yep. Some of you might've known about this already, but way back in 1974, a new law was passed called the Petroleum Development Act (PDA).

"Petronas is vested with the entire ownership of, as well as rights, privileges and benefits in relation to exploring and producing oil and gas, offshore and onshore in Malaysia. Petronas is also the responsible authority for licensing any third party contractors wishing to participate in upstream petroleum activities and licensing goods and service providers operating in the upstream sector, including providers of rigs and drilling services and supply of general goods and services related to upstream operations." - The Sun Daily

TLDR: Petronas owns everything, and anyone wanting to get ANY oil out of Malaysia has to go through them. This includes people like Esso and Shell, which have to co-develop, or at the very least lease areas from Petronas to look for oil. If you're from the Oil&Gas industry, you can read more about how you have to work with Petronas here.

So actually, it's quite fair la. Malaysia gives them the rights to the oil, and in return, Petronas pays a crapload of tax, and RM16 billion in rental to the gomen. But despite that...

5. They don't like gomen using them as their "piggie-bank"

Despite Petronas' entire board being entirely elected by the government, and then having the power to fire Tun M, you'd actually be pretty surprised to find out that Petronas is surprisingly independent, and hasn't been shy in showing it. 4 years ago at the World Gas Conference, PETRONAS CEO Shamsul Azhar Abbas made a speech on stage about how the government's fuel subsidy was plain wrong, resulting in " a murmur from the crowd ".

Why? Cos PM Najib was also there, and took the stage shortly after to remind everyone that the subsidies, which Petronas foots, have "Social-economic objectives".

"The polite but pointed disagreement was the latest sign of assertiveness from an oil company that prime ministers have treated as a piggy bank for pet projects since it was established in 1974. Interviews with current and former officials and an examination of Petronas and government documents show that strains have been building behind the scenes over how much money the company hands over to the government in the form of fuel subsidies, dividends and taxes." - The Star.com.my, July 2012

And it's not an empty accusation either, seeing as how Najib has even insisted on RM1,000 bonuses for Petronas employees just before GE13.

In fact, there are other signs that Petronas and the government have a very thorny relationship. Back in 2009, Najib appointed one of his closest aides, Omar Ong, into the Petronas Board of Directors. The move wasn't very welcome by the board, and its official advisor, Tun M, with some even crediting the incident to be the start of Tun M's vendetta against Najib.

In the meantime, the top guys at Petronas have never shied away from a fight, with former CEO Tan Sri Shamsul Azhar Abas even hinting that he'd rather be fired, than give in to political will. In fact, his predecessor Tan Sri Hassan Merican was also rumoured to have been replaced because of disagreements with Najib.

"Petronas' CEO and board, however, serve at the pleasure of the prime minister. Over the years, prime ministers have tapped into Petronas funds to build their dream projects and bail out their mistakes. Political leaders were used to dealing with yes-men in the company, which on Malaysia's organization chart is part of the prime minister's office.

Now Petronas is trying to say no." - Reuters, July 2012

Why is Petronas so brave to stand up to the government? Well on one hand, they are appointed by the gomen, but on the other, they are also its biggest financier. If Petronas were to fail or even underperform, the government loses its #1 cash cow.

And why do you need to know all about Petronas?

Well, like it or not, 20-40sen on every ringgit made in this country is by Petronas. Just think about that for a second. This means that if they're not doing so well, or if Malaysia runs out of oil, you can say byebye to 40sen out of every ringgit you earn.

"Friends, colleagues, the reality of the situation is in the numbers. Brent closed at USD 28 dollars per barrel on Friday, and continues to slide. There are still no signs of recovery." - Petronas CEO Wan Zulkiflee Wan Ariffin, Oilpro.com

As belts in Malaysia get tighter, and less people seem to trust what the gomen is doing, it's worrying that even Petronas is another one of those companies that reports directly to the Prime Minister (not to Parlimen). Because of that, it's more important than ever for Petronas to maintain its current progression towards transparency.

The move to transparent annual reports on their site was a great step forward in 2008, and it seems to be getting even more transparent. In fact, in 2013, Petronas was actually lauded by Transparency International for their progressive policies in revealing information.

So show a wee bit of respect to Petronas... not for what the PM makes them do, not just for contributing 40sen for every Ringgit, but for also being quite responsible to Malaysians in general for it

#kipidap #dongibab

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5 incredible facts about Petronas every Malaysian should know

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Klik di sini untuk versi BM For most of us, Petronas is just another Malaysian GLC - one that we see every day, and possibly even give business to on a regular basis - same la... like Unifi, or Tenaga Nasional. However, you don't see your former PM geting booted off the board on those other companies.

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1. Nestle Chilli Club's at Bukit Awang , Kelantan for Chilli planting or a.k.a. Agriculture planting.
2. Project RiLeaf in collaboration with Sime Darby Foundation for reforestation and palm oil sustainability initiative.
3. Semi-Aerobic Rice Intensification, new rice growing process in Feb. 2012 for the production of infant cereals.
4. Nestle Healthy Kids programme, which is run globally and aims at raising awareness on how nutrition and one's health go hand in hand, especially among students worldwide.

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http://www.theheinekencompany.com/sustainability/brewing-a-better-world

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At KFC Malaysia, we reach out to the world by giving back to the local communities

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#AirAsiaMAKNA campaign signifies the airline's long-term commitment towards cancer cause

KUALA LUMPUR, 30 OCTOBER 2016

AirAsia Berhad today announced that it has successfully raised RM350,000 for the benefit of the National Cancer Council of Malaysia (MAKNA) through the airline's #AirAsiaMAKNA 2016 campaign, where the airline pledged 10 cents for every flight booking made on its website airasia.com from 15 Aug - 16 Sept 2016 to the campaign.

The campaign was to help cancer patients in Malaysia and to educate the general public on the risks of cancer. This announcement was marked by a cheque presentation by Aireen Omar, CEO of AirAsia Berhad to Professor Tan Sri Dato' Dzulkifli Abdul Razak, MAKNA Board of Trustee at the #AirAsiaMAKNA 2016 Cancer Benefit Event and Concert which was held today at Avenue K Shopping Mall in Kuala Lumpur.

Visitors to the event today were also able to catch live performances by local powerhouse celebrities such as Kaka Azraff, SonaOne, Joe Flizzow and Dato' Siti Nurhaliza, apart from enjoying other event highlights such as free clinical examinations, health talks, healthy food sampling and sale, special discounts for health products, as well as cancer information display.

Aireen Omar, CEO of AirAsia Berhad said, "AirAsia remains committed to our #AirAsiaMAKNA campaign in helping cancer patients nationwide battle the disease. Giving back to communities which we call home is important to us at AirAsia, as we look forward to continue positively impact the lives of the people around us. Last year, we raised close to RM265,000 for MAKNA via #AirAsiaMAKNA and Travelling Beruang and this year, we are glad to record an even more resounding success with RM350,000 raised. Combining the contributions over these two years, AirAsia has raised and donated more than RM650,000 to the country's cancer fight cause, and we hope to build on this in the future."

"AirAsia would like to thank everyone who has supported the campaign to create more cancer-free tomorrows. We are motivated by the fact that our efforts and donations will be directed towards providing curative, preventive, research and support services to cancer patients and their families in Malaysia," added Aireen.

"The physical, emotional and financial toll cancer can inflict on patients and their families can be devastating. Every year countless numbers of people lose their fight against cancer not because of the lack of treatment options, but owing to the lack of financial means to fund treatment and the lack of awareness in taking better ownership of their health. Therefore, we are grateful to have the continued support of AirAsia in helping us not only raise funds, but also raise awareness on cancer. Such collaborative efforts and social consciousness are essential to ensure aid reaches those in need without delay and interruption, giving patients a better chance at survival," said Farahida Mohd Farid, General Manager of MAKNA.

In August, AirAsia also became the travel partner of MAKNA's "Klimb Kinabalu 2016" expedition, where 13 climbers, including 4 AirAsia Allstars (employees) scaled the summit of Mount Kinabalu to raise funds and show support towards cancer awareness.

For more information and to find out how to contribute to the cause, please log on to makna.org.my.

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AirAsiaMAKNA 2016 Campaign Raised RM350,000 For Cancer Charity In Malaysia | AirAsia

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KUALA LUMPUR, 30 OCTOBER 2016 AirAsia Berhad today announced that it has successfully raised RM350,000 for the benefit of the National Cancer Council of Malaysia (MAKNA) through the airline's #AirAsiaMAKNA 2016 campaign, where the airline pledged 10 cents for every flight booking made on its website airasia.com from 15 Aug - 16 Sept 2016 to the campaign.

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KUALA LUMPUR, 2 April 2015 - More than 2,000 youths from all walks of life - ranging from underprivileged and disabled communities to those from educational institutions such as schools and universities - participated in Microsoft's YouthSpark #WeSpeakCode. #WeSpeakCode is a week-long campaign aimed at helping educators tap into the growing interest of coding.

In doing so, Microsoft Malaysia has hosted a range of activities and events from 25 March to 2 April, in collaboration with local schools, universities, government and non-governmental institutions - such as Multimedia Development Corporation ( MDeC), The United Nations Children's Fund ( UNICEF), Taylor's University, MySkills Foundation, and YWCA Kuala Lumpur - to celebrate #WeSpeakCode.

Held for the second year running in Malaysia, #WeSpeakCode this year centers on the theme of inclusiveness, bringing together hundreds of young Malaysians from all walks of life and across gender to participate in coding tutorials, lessons and mentoring programs conducted in a fun and engaging manner. In line with the theme, Microsoft Malaysia partnered two of the most recognizable non-governmental organizations - United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and YWCA Kuala Lumpur - to extend #WeSpeakCode to women and girls, and youths from the underprivileged and disabled communities.

Microsoft Malaysia together with YWCA Kuala Lumpur, conducted a coding session for 70 girls from the underserved community - showing how easy it is to code, at the same time making it relatable and enjoyable for the young people. With UNICEF, Microsoft Malaysia tutored youths from the disabled community to code in only a few hours - demonstrating how simple it was to learn coding - who in turn showed their newfound skill to UNICEF ambassadors from various countries worldwide who were present at the event.

According to Jasmine Begum, Director of Legal and Corporate Affairs, Microsoft Malaysia, "#WeSpeakCode kicked off last year in Malaysia to resounding success, and we are delighted to continue our efforts to offer resources, education and skills training in coding to more Malaysians. It is important that our young people understand computer science and basic programming are skills that will form the foundation for many jobs in the future. With #WeSpeakCode, we are creating real impact in Malaysia, equipping the younger generation with 21 st century skills that will propel the country towards our vision of a developed nation by 2020."
Room for progress: Malaysian students see coding as a core skill, but lack the support
In conjunction with the #WeSpeakCode campaign, Microsoft also released the results from a new Asia Pacific study which revealed that the majority of students in Malaysia recognize the value of coding in their education and the potential it creates for their future careers. However, the study also found that students feel relatively unsupported in their interest for coding, signaling an urgent need for educators to look deeper at integrating it as a core subject in the school curriculum.

The survey - conducted in February 2015 - polled 1,850 students under 24 years old from across 8 countries in Asia Pacific[1], including Malaysia, on their sentiments towards coding or software programming. They were also asked about the learning opportunities for coding that are currently available to them. The student respondents came from a variety of academic backgrounds, including arts & humanities, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), business, and other general fields of study.

According to the survey, 88% of students in Malaysia want to know more about coding, and 68% wish that coding could be offered as a core subject in their schools. This suggests that coding has the potential to be a highly engaging subject that can capture the attention and imagination of students, leading to positive learning outcomes.

The study also underscores the broad understanding amongst students in Malaysia about the impact of technology on businesses and the society - 74% of students say that coding is important to their future careers, and 72% agree that coding will be relevant to all careers in the future, regardless of areas of specialization.

The results from the Microsoft survey clearly show that the majority of students in Malaysia no longer question the value of coding. "The world is increasingly dependent on technology. In order to reach their full potential, young people need to have an understanding of how technology works, and how to make it work for them. It's no different in Malaysia - our youth fully recognize the importance of coding as a fundamental 21 st century skill and how it would prepare them for success in the future. That is what Microsoft has been doing in Malaysia for more than 20 years - driving innovation and transforming education through technology - to inspire the next generation of Malaysians towards success," said Dinesh Nair, Director of Developer Experience and Evangelism, Microsoft Malaysia.

"As our world continues its evolution into one that is mobile-first and cloud-first, it is important for educators in the region to seriously consider offering coding as a subject and how it can be integrated into the curriculum as soon as possible. Youth with 21 st century skills such as coding will find themselves better qualified for new employment in all areas, not just technology."

Other noteworthy results from the study include:

On the benefits of coding, 77% said coding helps them better understand the digital world that we live in today, and 58% appreciate the fact that coding can help them learn how to create apps;

Although commonly regarded as a male-dominated field, the survey nevertheless shows that a high proportion of both boys (90%) and girls (86%) in Malaysia want to learn coding;

Reinforcing the finding that students in Malaysia are fully aware of the growing importance of an education in technology, as much as 88% of students who specialize in business-related fields want to learn more about coding.

However, despite the widespread enthusiasm and interest in coding, only 52% of students said they have an opportunity to learn coding in school, whether as a core subject or an extracurricular activity. Furthermore, only 44% of students say their parents think coding is important to their future.

This indicates a severe disconnect between the students' interests and the support that they are receiving from schools and at home. There is a need for educators and parents in Malaysia to quickly reflect on how they can better support the younger generation in taking their first coding steps, especially when the majority of students (66%) said they would be willing to take up coding classes outside of regular school hours. In fact, 33% of students in Malaysia have already looked beyond the classroom and picked up coding on their own through online tutorials.

Jasmine concluded, "At Microsoft, we believe that code is a language that anyone can learn and computational thinking is an essential foundational skill that should be taught in all schools - regardless of age, gender, or your current field of study. Writing code and creating a program of your own is not complicated or difficult, and more importantly, it's fun! More than 82 million people of all ages around the world already tried coding last year through the global "Hour of Code" event. Through the Microsoft YouthSpark #WeSpeakCode campaign, we're bringing the movement back to Malaysia again to empower youth here to innovate, create, and unlock the best opportunities for their future."

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#WeSpeakCode - Code for Malaysia - kicks off in Malaysia - Microsoft Malaysia News Center

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More than 2,000 youths from all walks of life - ranging from underprivileged and disabled communities to those from educational institutions such as schools and universities - participated in Microsoft's YouthSpark #WeSpeakCode. #WeSpeakCode is a week-long campaign aimed at helping educators tap into the growing interest of coding. ...

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Ulu Segama Malua: Orang Utan Sanctuary - Case Studies - Sime Darby Sustainability