(From left) Anthony, Nurlin, Azrul, Zhariff and Ng during the PETRONAS Lunch Escape forum held at Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur. — LOW LAY PHOON/The Star
PETRONAS forum discusses benefits for diversity, equity and inclusion
IN today’s business world, embracing diversity and inclusivity is key to unlocking the full potential of organisations.
When people from different backgrounds are given the opportunity to contribute, it fosters innovation and operational excellence. This inclusive approach not only benefits the organisation but also creates a safe and welcoming space for all employees to thrive.
PETRONAS Dagangan Bhd (PDB) managing director and chief executive officer Azrul Osman Rani highlighted this compelling rationale for all types of organisations to embrace Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).
Drawing parallels with health, safety and environment (HSE) principles, he explained that just as good HSE practices reduce risks and foster business success, embracing a culture of inclusivity enables people of diverse backgrounds, cultures and ages to contribute their unique perspectives and drive innovation and operational excellence.
Azrul emphasises the crucial role of DEI in creating a safe space for employees to feel valued and empowered — that inclusivity boosts employee participation.
Azrul emphasised the crucial role of DEI in creating a safe space where employees feel valued and empowered, stressing that an inclusive environment boosts employee participation and engagement.
He pointed out its tangible benefits, saying that it attracts diverse talent, propels organisational growth and enhances overall business performance.
“It makes absolute business sense for an organisation to truly harness DEI, and it is not just about CSR,” said Azrul, who was one of the four speakers at the PETRONAS Lunch Escape forum held on July 27.
The forum, themed Elevating DEI: Fuelling Innovation and Collective Success, was organised by PETRONAS in collaboration with the Malaysian Press Institute.
Moderated by Astro Awani senior editor and producer Cynthia Ng, the forum aimed at encouraging conversation as well as sharing DEI best practices at the workplace and its impact on the overall growth of an organisation.
Fellow panellist Korn Ferry Malaysia managing director and senior client partner Anthony Raja Devadoss said: “DEI should not be just words. It’s action, a policy that needs to be enforced across the board because there’s so much of rich value creation that comes out of that.”
Nurlin defines diversity as representation, equity as ensuring fair processes and inclusion as creating the sense of belonging in an organisation.
Another panellist, Boston Consulting Group managing director and partner Nurlin Mohd Salleh, defined diversity as representation based on hard facts and numbers, equity as ensuring fair processes free from bias, and inclusion as creating a sense of belonging within an organisation.
Nurlin shared the critical importance of DEI for talent retention, financial benefits, innovation and meeting the expectations of socially conscious Gen Z, making it imperative for organisations to embrace DEI principles.
Another speaker, entrepreneur, author, life coach and motivator Zhariff Afandi, shared his experience saying that he was very fortunate that he “still had a lot of opportunities to get education, to be cared for and to experience things” despite having a disability.
Anthony highlights the need for visible reporting of DEI efforts and social impact initiatives to ensure an inclusive, advanced corporate Malaysia.
Asked on some of the promising developments seen in the context of corporate relations, Anthony points out the importance of Bursa Malaysia’s announcement regarding women representation on boards.
He called for greater regulatory awareness and activism in promoting DEI within organisations, including multinational companies, as well as micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
DEI from young
Azrul reflected on his early experiences and the value of diversity in education, realising the importance of embracing differences and inclusivity from a young age.
“My first realisation on a personal basis was the value of diversity, which I discovered during my education in the United States, sponsored by PETRONAS.
“I realised that learning encompasses more than just textbooks and exams, and the exposure you get from dealing with people of different backgrounds, cultures and expertise (enriches the educational experience),” said Azrul, who was appointed PETRONAS Diversity and Inclusion champion a few months ago.
Zhariff says that he was fortunate to have access to education opportunities, being cared for and gain experience despite having a disability.
Zhariff highlighted the progress in Malaysia regarding the inclusive infrastructure, but emphasised the need to cultivate a culture of inclusivity at all levels of businesses, from upper management to operations.
He called for a shift in mindset and a wider conversation to ensure that efforts for inclusivity are not just seen as secondary priorities but integrated throughout all aspects of the organisation.
He highlighted two critical components in promoting diversity and inclusion: the need to move beyond mere lip service and genuinely implement inclusive practices, as well as to avoid limiting individuals into stereotypes based on their characteristics.
On the key factors contributing to women achievements in the top 100 public listed companies in Malaysia, Nurlin emphasised the importance of setting clear targets and regulatory monitoring to drive effective diversity and inclusion initiatives.
She raised concerns about Malaysia’s decline in the gender gap index ranking since 2020 and called for increased efforts to encourage women’s labour participation and promote inclusive practices at all levels.
Nurlin highlighted the significance of diverse perspectives in understanding customers and achieving business success across various industries.
On hiring for diversity and inclusion versus hiring for merit aspects, Anthony said the demand for Malaysian talent outside of Malaysia, citing cultural relativity, communication ability and affordability, as reasons for their appeal.
He stressed the need for a diverse hiring policy, inclusive of all abilities, and calls for making DEI a part of the organisational culture and policymaking to attract and retain talent within Malaysia.
Ng raised a question about organisations not fully embracing DEI principles and whether they might be overlooking certain criteria when seeking security domain talents.
In response, Azrul shared his personal belief in creating an ecosystem that prioritises DEI principles, leading to tangible results in attracting and retaining talent.
“PETRONAS itself is already operating in over 100 global countries. From our business footprint, we already see the importance, in fact, that absolute necessity to have good DEI principles to be able to attract and retain talent.”
He envisions a future where advanced technologies will further support DEI efforts and make the world more open to diverse perspectives.
Grey areas
Azrul acknowledged that there may still be areas in the country where certain types or genders face recognition challenges, particularly in technical fields.
He highlighted the need to address this at the education level and shared initiatives by PETRONAS, such as scholarships and data-driven approaches, to promote diversity and inclusion in their talent pool.
“I’m very pleased to see 60% of the women that we sponsored are in technical,” Azrul said.
He lauds PETRONAS human resource’s MyCareerX platform that compels the workforce to fill up their profile, to allow tracking on contributions, diversity and avoiding biasness through AI technology to support DEI.
Asked by Ng if the DEI framework needs to be localised to avoid perpetuating biases, Anthony touched on the element of local adjustments, acknowledging the historical and cultural context as well as the need for inclusive leadership and fostering networks throughout the organisation to encourage feedback and ensure alignment with the law of the land.
Nurlin stressed the significance of DEI, tailored to the local context and addressing the needs of various individuals and minority groups.
She emphasised the need to combat unconscious bias and promote fairness in processes to achieve true diversity and inclusion in the organisation.
In her closing remarks, PETRONAS group strategic communications senior general manager Datin Anita Azrina Abdul Aziz said: “We want to be challenged and inspired, we want to unlearn and relearn and be pushed outside the box, and we can only achieve this when we welcome and embrace differences.
“It’s all about action and continuous commitment, as DEI isn’t a one-time thing. It is a journey,” added Anita.
