Petronas retiree recounts working experience at offshore rig

KUALA TERENGGANU: When he first got involved in the oil and gas field more than five decades ago, Hamzah Mamat never thought that he would be landing his dream job with an attractive salary.

Recalling his experience, as one of the first locals to work in the oil and gas sector, the 73 -yearold said he started his career on an offshore oil rig in late 1968, as an offshore labourer also known as ‘roustabout'.

“I was in my 20s and was working as a labourer in the village. At that time, oil exploration work off the coast of Peninsular Malaysia had just begun and I accepted an offer to work as a ‘roustabout' with a basic salary of RM225 per month. The schedule was two-weeks offshore followed by a week off,” he told Bernama.

In 1978, in order to gain knowledge and experience, Hamzah accepted an offer to work as an oil rig wireline operator by a foreign company with a salary of RM350 per month.

He said at that time there was no training available for skills related to oil rig maintenance which could only be learned from working with a skilled crew.

Opportunities to explore the oil and gas field became wider when his employer brought in experienced oil well operators from Australia to share their experiences with him and other general workers.

“It is in line with the Petroleum Development Act 1974 which requires foreign companies operating in Malaysia to transfer technology and knowledge related to oil and gas to locals,” he said.

He said around the mid-80s, the development of the oil and gas industry in Malaysia was flourishing as more local companies began to get involved in the sector.

It also led to more locals becoming skilled in conducting offshore operations.

“I remember if there were 10 skilled workers, nine of them were Europeans while only one was a Malaysian. Still, it was something to be very proud of," he said.