MGA Urges Energy Sector To Embrace The Power Of Diverse Perspectives For Future Workforce

By Siti Radziah Hamzah

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 27 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Gas Association (MGA) has called on the energy sector to embrace the power of diversity and inclusion (D&I) in the workforce. 

Speaking to Bernama, MGA council member Ramanrao Abdullah said that among the D&I initiatives that could be implemented in the industry includes providing longer paternity leave to ensure sustainable female participation in the labour pool.

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“If we aim for equality, give both maternity and paternity leave. When the mother goes back to work, the father can take over.

“We have not tried it, but why not? Maternity leave is three months now, and maybe (followed with) one month for the father after that,”  he told Bernama. 

Ramanrao, who is Deleum Bhd’s chief executive officer, said this on the sidelines of the Malaysia Women in Energy’s (MyWiE) “Fuelling Women in Energy” workshop held on Thursday. 

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The event was supported by the MyWiE Community, including Petronas Leading Women Network (PLWN), Shell Action Women Network (SWAN), and the Women in Energy, Gas & Oil (WeGo), an oil and gas services and equipment (OGSE) representative.

Economy Ministry deputy secretary-general Datuk Dr Yatimah Sarjiman was also present at the event.

According to Malaysia’s labour law, a male employee will be eligible for seven days of paid leave if he is legally married to the mother of the newborn and employed with the same employer for at least 12 months.

Ramanrao observed that raising a family should not just be the sole responsibility of the female.   

“I think we are at the point where it is not a choice whether we support this or not. We believe that this is the way to go to make sure that we get the right workforce into the industry and wider society. What would help is getting men to take equal responsibility in raising a family.

“Maybe in the budget, the government could roll out an incentive for companies to give paternity leave as well,” he added. 

Ramanrao noted that the oil and gas industry currently has more female representation compared to a decade back, as the mindset has shifted towards empowering women to participate and flourish in the male-dominated oil and gas industry. 

“I started my career in the oil and gas industry about 30 years ago, and that is what it was. Now, we see more and more women. Even in my company, the proportion of my management team is almost 40 per cent women,” he told Bernama.

As of 2023, five out of 26 public-listed oil and gas services and equipment (OGSE) companies in Malaysia, ranked among the top 150 by revenue, have reached at least 30 per cent female representation on their boards. 

At the senior management level, nine out of the 26 publicly listed OGSE companies have achieved at least 30 per cent female representation.

“When a woman sits beside a man, they are there because they earned it, not because of diversity. It is because they are good at what they are doing, and they earned the slot. They are there because of merit, and that should not be an issue,” noted Ramanrao. 

In her speech at the workshop, Yatimah said the government had initiated several measures to attract more women into the workforce, including support for care economies such as increasing income tax exemption for childcare allowances for working mothers. 

She noted that the initiatives clearly demonstrated the government’s commitment to implementing inclusive policies that aim to dismantle the barriers women frequently encounter in balancing work and family responsibilities.

Yatimah said that by offering essential support, the government could empower more women to pursue their careers, thereby enhancing their contributions to the economy and ultimately creating an economy that values diversity and inclusion as key drivers of innovation and progress.

“It is also important to acknowledge the public-listed companies among the top 26 OGSE companies that have achieved 30 per cent women’s representation on board.

“These figures remind us that diversity is not just a box to check but a critical factor in fostering stronger governance and more inclusive leadership,” she added. 

MyWiE, formed on Jan 10 2018, is an advocacy group with the main objective of championing equal opportunity for women in the energy sector, supported by its founding members – Petronas, Shell, Sarawak Energy Bhd, 30% Club, PEMANDU Associate and MGA.

MGA is the appointed secretariat for MyWiE.

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-- BERNAMA