KUCHING: Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department (Labour, Immigration and Project Monitoring), Datuk Gerawat Gala has dismissed as false a viral claim alleging that Petroleum Sarawak Bhd (PETROS) had applied to recruit foreign workers through the Labour Department.
Responding to the matter, he said the information circulating online was inaccurate and misleading.
“This is fake news. No such application from PETROS to JTK,” he told Sarawak Tribune.
The clarification comes amid growing public concern over a document shared widely on social media, which purportedly involved the recruitment of foreign workers for the state oil and gas company.
Gerawat further addressed separate viral claims linking a recent meeting between Sarawak and Bangladesh to the development of PETROS, describing them as equally baseless.
He clarified that the meeting between the Bangladesh High Commission and Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg did not involve PETROS, nor were there any discussions or agreements related to the state oil and gas company.
“The claim that Sarawak and Bangladesh have agreed to cooperate in developing PETROS is false and misleading,” he said.
Gerawat explained that the meeting that took place on April 16 was held at the request of the Bangladesh High Commission to explore potential areas of cooperation between the Government of Bangladesh and the Sarawak Government.
Among the matters raised was a proposal from the Bangladesh Government to allow more of its citizens to work in Sarawak, noting that their current numbers remain small compared to other foreign workers in the state.
“The Bangladesh High Commission also informed of an existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Government of Malaysia on worker recruitment, and enquired whether Sarawak would consider a similar arrangement at the state level. The Premier has asked my ministry to study and consider the proposal,” he said.
Gerawat stressed that no decision, agreement, or commitment has been made to increase the number of Bangladeshi workers in Sarawak.
He also urged the public to verify information carefully and not be misled by inaccurate or unverified social media posts.
“Any consideration will always be based on the actual needs of industries in the state,” he said.
