RAPID

1) If it is true the Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Development [RAPID] in Pengerang, Johor, would be develop by Petronas, I would welcome it. But the feasibility studies and environmental & health impacts studies have to be carried out first.

2) I believe it has to do with current rapid development of Oil & Gas complex in Jurong Island, Singapore, where I thought certain portion of those refined products would be sell and transfer to Jurong Island. Or else, its may a tactic by the government to compete with Singapore Jurong Island. To me, whatever it is, it was a good tactics by the government to woo foreign investment or FDI into our country.

3) To make this investment worthwhile, I suggests the government and Petronas would consider on more active participation by local contractors in this project. I have a strong believe that our local contractor have the capabilities to participate actively in this project. I am sure they have all the resources i.e. financial and technical capabilities to carry out this huge project successfully along with thier own foreign partners.

4) Unlike Sabah Oil and Gas Terminal [SOGT] in Kimanis and Plant Rejuvenation and Revamp 2 [PRR2] package in Kerteh, Terengganu, local participation in these project seems only to comply the government and Petronas procedure, where Naim Holdings Bhd and PFCE seems only being sleeping partners while the actual works of engineering and construction were fully carry out by their respective foreign partners. As I always stressed in earlier post on Petronas VDP, it is not the system is wrong but human whether it was the authority or receptive people are the real culprits. This is what has made our national social engineering i.e. NEP less successful, its all due to human error and negative behaviour.

5) There are several potential local constructors which I assume have that capability i.e. Kencana Petroleum, Sapura Crest, Sime Darby Engineering and etc. To me these companies have all the resources i.e. engineering and financial to be active participant along with their respective foreign partners.

6) I hope Petronas will look into this matter seriously and learn from the past mistakes. I am sure there are a lots good local engineers who are still hungry to learn more. The brain drain would normally happen when there are no opportunities available in the local industries or their capabilities are not being heard and simply neglected by the respective industries.