DILI, 11 September 2025 (TATOLI) – Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão met on Thursday at the Government Palace with Tengku Muhammad Taufik, President of Malaysia’s state-owned oil and gas company Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS).
The meeting focused on potential opportunities for cooperation in the petroleum and gas sector.
Gusmão said the talks follow PETRONAS’s earlier support for Timor-Leste in matters related to the Greater Sunrise oil and gas field.
Tengku Muhammad Taufik thanked the Prime Minister for the opportunity and expressed the company’s interest in exploring new partnerships.
“We are here as friends, and we want to carefully study the opportunities that Timor-Leste offers,” he said.
Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Francisco Monteiro also attended the meeting.
Monteiro recalled PETRONAS’s long-standing relationship with Timor-Leste, which began under the leadership of the company’s former president Tan Sri Hassan Marican.
He noted that between 2002 and 2005, PETRONAS provided scholarships and technical training to young Timorese in the petroleum sector.
In 2008, the company also led a pre-feasibility study on building a pipeline from the Greater Sunrise field to Timor-Leste’s south coast.
“That study delivered valuable technical and professional insights on the possibility of bringing the pipeline to the country and developing the petroleum industry on the south coast,” Monteiro explained.
He added that the current visit aims to strengthen the partnership and prepare future cooperation agreements aligned with government policies.
“They are always ready to support our national plans. It is our responsibility to define the strategies, and partners help us make them a reality,” Minister Monteiro concluded.
Founded in 1974, PETRONAS is a multinational oil, gas, and energy company wholly owned by the Malaysian government.
The company is headquartered in Kuala Lumpur and manages Malaysia’s petroleum resources.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
