KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government hopes to prevent further brain drain by creating more opportunities in the oil and gas industry.

State Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said there were many talented Sabahans all over the world.

"We cannot blame them. The opportunities are not here even though we are one of the biggest oil producers.

"The extraction of crude oil and condensates contributed RM15.46 billion to Sabah's gross domestic product in 2021. 

"The industry in Sabah is still in its infancy. We are not in the forefront, we are far behind Sarawak, Terengganu and even states that are not oil producers.

"There are 369 oil and gas companies in Sabah, but half of them are not active because they are not competitive enough. Perhaps we have been neglecting them for too long," he said at the launch of the Oil and Gas Service Equipment (OGSE) Roadshow at the Sabah International Convention Centre here.

Masidi, who is also state local government and housing minister, said the state government introduced several initiatives to provide more opportunities to Sabah folk and companies in the oil and gas sector.

This includes signing commercial collaborative agreements, launching the Sabah oil and gas policy and limiting work permits to ensure companies prioritise Sabahans in the industry.

"The oil and gas sector is important to the Sabah Maju Jaya Development Plan.

"We in Sabah want to believe that there are capable and motivated people who can be trained to lead the industry.

"It is high time for Sabahans to take the lead and we are giving our all to develop the oil and gas sector in Sabah.

"This is why we need Petroliam Nasional Bhd's (Petronas) help.

"Petronas plays a key role in transforming the industry.

"We have asked Petronas to teach Sabahans so that they can be key players in the oil and gas sector."

He said Petronas had agreed to nurture and mentor locals.

On the roadshow, Masidi said it was an important milestone that provided exposure and opportunities to stakeholders in Sabah.

Jointly organised by the Sabah Economic Planning Unit and Malaysia Petroleum Resources Corporation (MPRC), the roadshow aims to promote initiatives from the OGSE Blueprint, which SMEs in the sector can harness to unlock value creation.

The roadshow, themed "Pivoting OGSE Industry from Survival Mode to Growth", is the third in a series of OGSE roadshows being held nationwide this year under a collaboration between the MPRC and state economic planning units.

Present was MPRC president and chief executive officer Mohd Yazid Ja'afar.