Petronas To Ensure Safety of 193 Malaysian Oil Rig Workers in Myanmar Waters

We all know of the military coup that had happened in Myanmar on 1 February. The coup resulted from Aung San Suu Kyi’s party having a landslide win during the election held in November 2020. The military, however, refused to accept their loss and claimed that the election was fraudulent.

It has been reported that about 193 Malaysian oil rig workers who were stationed in a Petronas oil rig in the Andaman Sea in Myanmar waters have been stranded there ever since the coup began.

For illustration purposes only.

Awani added that the workers were supposed to be changed every 40 days. However, due to the coup, the workers had to stay there because of issues with their visas and the pandemic. The main form of transport for these workers is by helicopters but that has also been stopped ever since the coup began.

In a statement by Petronas, they said that they are taking necessary action to ensure the safety of their contractors by ensuring that they have a continuous supply of food, essentials, and fuel. They stated that 38 workers have already been sent to hotels for rest while observing COVID-19 quarantine.

“PETRONAS is working closely with its contractor, the Embassy of Malaysia in Myanmar, Wisma Putra and all relevant authorities in managing this matter.”

“The safety and well-being of our contractors and their families are our utmost priority.”

Myanmar’s military checkpoint is seen on the way to the congress compound in naypyitaw, myanmar, february 1, 2021. Reuters/stringer

Reuters reports that Facebook has since been blocked by Internet providers following the order from the military, on 4 February. Adding to that, Twitter and Instagram have also been blocked starting from 6 February, according to Bloomberg.

Also read: “The people are awake and scared” What You Should Know About Myanmar’s Military Coup