Petronas has appointed Mohd Jukris Abdul Wahab as its new Chief Operating Officer, effective 1 February. This strategic appointment strengthens the company's senior leadership during an ongoing legal dispute with the state of Sarawak over gas marketing and aggregation rights.

Leadership Restructuring and Strategic Focus

The COO will support the CEO in managing engagements with federal and state governments to ensure a unified approach. As part of this enhanced structure, the Health, Safety and Environment function will now report to the COO, while the Security function will report directly to the CEO. This change is a response to the scale and frequency of geopolitical risks. The refinements are designed to give the CEO greater strategic focus to steer corporate transformation and policy advocacy, while ensuring more disciplined execution across the organisation.

Ongoing Legal Dispute in Sarawak

Concurrently, Petronas has petitioned Malaysia's Federal Court to clarify the regulatory framework governing its operations in Sarawak. The company states that, despite progress on commercial arrangements like the 2020 Commercial Settlement Agreement, differences with the state have created uncertainty regarding Petronas's obligations.

Advancing Project, Engineering & Technology

In addition to the COO appointment, Petronas will advance a more focused Project, Engineering & Technology division. This division is intended to ensure consistent project and asset delivery while accelerating growth and new business opportunities through technology, innovation, and research.