PETRONAS, oil money, and Malaysia's national sovereignty
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2021
Abstract
How did the national oil company of a small, fledgeling nation grow into a Fortune 500 company? Economic nationalism came to Malaysia later than it did for its neighbours, and scholars have neglected crucial perspectives on how it took shape. One salient symbol of this national sovereignty came with the formation of a national oil company, PETRONAS, which overcame internal and external political threats, corporate intimidation by oil multinationals, and an initial lack of trained specialist staff. Drawing upon primary sources from diverse perspectives, this article discusses how PETRONAS became a global player in the fossil fuel industry, and negotiated successfully with well-established international partners and competitors. © 2021 Royal Asiatic Society. All rights reserved.
Keywords
Economic nationalism, Fortune 500, Malaysia, National oil company, PETRONAS
Divisions
History
Funders
Universiti Malaya (Grant No. RU017-2018)
Publication Title
Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society
Volume
94
Issue
1
Publisher
Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society