Khalib has not been approached for Petronas job!

The Star

Thursday September 3, 2009

By YAP LENG KUEN

PETALING JAYA: Just as French “Spiderman’’ Alain Robert was arrested after scaling the Petronas Twin Towers, the rumours on a successor to current Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) president and CEO Tan Sri Hassan Marican are swirling again.
Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) CEO Datuk Seri Che Khalib Mohd Noh’s name has resurfaced after a nine-month silence when he was earlier speculated to be leaving TNB one year ahead of the end of his contract, possibly to join Petronas.
“I can confirm that I have not received anything (pertaining to his rumoured appointment to Petronas) and I am still the CEO of TNB,’’ Che Khalib told StarBiz late Tuesday in reply to a query.
“I am not sure why the rumours surfaced in the first place,’’ he said yesterday. “Tan Sri Hassan has and is still doing a fantastic job managing Petronas.’’

Datuk Seri Che Khalib ... ‘I have not received anything.’

On whether he had been approached at all, Che Khalib emphatically said: “No!’’
Petronas, when contacted, declined comment on such “never-ending rumours.’’
About two months ago, board members of Petronas were reported to have politely turned down a bid purportedly by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to admit key political aide Omar Mustapha Ong as a director.
Omar was reported to have defaulted on a scholarship loan agreement with Petronas two decades ago, which he has subsequently repaid. Around the same time, an online news portal had named Felda Holdings Bhd managing director Datuk Mohd Bakke Salleh as Hassan’s possible successor.
Hassan, whose contract ends next February, has indicated that he favoured an internal promotion, according to reports which cited examples of internal succession plans at Shell, ExxonMobil and British Petroleum.
However, the Prime Minister has the last say in making appointments at Petronas.