Petronas To Freeze Hiring Till December 2026
Petronas said it is undergoing a significant strategic transformation, including a comprehensive review of its operations that is expected to lead to a workforce reduction of approximately 10%. The move it added aims to reshape the company into a more agile, integrated, and future-ready energy provider amidst complex global and domestic challenges.
Petronas President and Group Chief Executive Officer Tengku Muhammad Taufik stated, “We acknowledge that this process may result in difficult but necessary workforce adjustments, with an estimation of 10% reduction from our total workforce.” He added that the notification process for affected staff will be completed in stages until the end of this year.
The top-down, enterprise-wide workforce assessment is designed to align the organization with its long-term strategic direction and to deliver greater value. This thorough review encompasses assets, processes, expenditures, and its people, ensuring the company remains competitive and prepared for future demands.
To facilitate this restructuring, Petronas will implement a general freeze on hiring activities until December 2026. Exceptions will be made only for selected business-critical positions, which will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Tengku Muhammad Taufik emphasised the critical nature of these internal shifts. “The comprehensive review of its assets, processes, expenditures and people are fundamental shifts critical for Petronas to compete and drive future growth amidst a heightening challenging market environment,” he explained.
The overarching goal of this transformation is to better position Petronas to maintain its relevance in a challenging energy transition, strengthen its resilience, and ensure competitiveness. This will allow the company to accelerate growth through targeted investments while simultaneously fostering a value-centric and agile workforce. Petronas affirmed its full commitment to managing this process with transparency, care, and respect for all impacted employees.
