Multi-national companies must do more for society

I WOULD LIKE to applaud Mat Baim for his excellent article in the Opinion dated Feb 20, 2013 on ‘Our Govt’s presence in BSP made us prosper’.

He had hit the nail right on the head. We desperately need more Bruneians like Mat Baim and Pg Hj Abdul Rahman Pg Hj Omar to speak out for our Brunei locals who are generally non-vocal and polite.

I agree totally with Mat Baim that multinational companies such as Shell and other Oil and Gas Operators as well as service companies must do more in delivering their social responsibilities.

These include social investments in Brunei economic development as well as provision of jobs, training and grooming qualified, capable Brunei locals for leadership positions.

Big multinational companies in the Oil and Gas sector should be reminded to offer jobs and leadership positions to qualified, capable home-grown locals, irrespective of their ethnic background and IC colour over expats or foreigners.

Far too often, we see these companies take advantage of the perceived gaps in Brunei’s employment and promotion policies to advance their own hiring preferences by bringing in their own people to fill in key positions.

For example, I heard from local insiders in BSP that qualified locals are being overlooked for Job Group 4 and above positions.

Instead, expatriates/foreigners are being recruited whilst existing ones signed on and given new jobs with higher JG and pay package.

Many of these so called short term contract staff utilise BSP as a training ground and springboard to gain Shell staff status.

Not only are they being paid higher salaries and benefits than our own locals, they are also being given on the job training and development to enable them to perform in their new jobs.

One wonders why our own qualified home-grown locals are not being given these job advancement opportunities over these expats or foreigners.

I applaud the Minister of Energy Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Awg Hj Mohd Yasmin Hj Umar for the great initiative in holding regular engagement sessions with the local workforce to hear their concerns and issues. It is important that the authority follows up with the locals’ concerns and issues with the companies they work for and actively monitor the companies’ social performance in local recruitment and promotion.

- A Bruneian