Ex-Petronas manager leaked confidential data to Petros, Cyber Security unit confirms, court told

KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 — The Sessions Court was told today that Petronas’ Cyber Security Department confirmed that a former manager at the company had disclosed information on the national oil company’s business and financial structure to Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (PETROS) on June 8, 2024.

Former Petronas senior manager of Corporate Relations Jumsuri Basri, 48, testified that he was informed on December 6, 2024, at the Petronas Twin Towers, that Mohd Khairul Akmal Mohd Jasni had leaked the confidential information.

“I became aware of this after receiving a call from a representative of the Whistle Blowing Committee (WBC) on Dec 6, 2024, who informed me of the information leak to PETROS. The representative then sent an email containing the whistleblower’s report and the documents allegedly leaked.

“After receiving the information, I notified Human Resources, Petronas’ Finance Division, and Petronas’ Cyber Security Department for verification and further action,” he said when reading his witness statement on the first day of the trial of Mohd Khairul Akmal, who is charged with attempting to disclose confidential documents relating to the national oil company’s operational and financial performance to PETROS.

The first prosecution witness said checks revealed that at 3.19pm on June 8, 2024, Mohd Khairul Akmal had sent a confidential document titled “Q1 2024 Upstream Business Performance” via his Petronas email address to a PETROS email address.

“Checks by Petronas Cyber Security confirmed that Mohd Khairul Akmal had sent the document to PETROS on June 8, 2024. The checks also revealed that he had attempted to send the email at 7.19am but failed due to the large file size. 

“The document ‘Q1 2024 Upstream Business Performance’ is classified as ‘Internal’ because every page of the document is marked as such, and it cannot be shared without the approval of the Head of Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd’s Finance and Risk Department, Ms Karima,” he said during examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Noor Syafina Mohd Radzuan.

According to Jumsuri, Mohd Khairul Akmal held the position of Manager (Business Unit Performance) at Petronas and was responsible for managing and consolidating financial reports for upstream businesses both domestically and internationally.

“His actions exposed Petronas’ confidential business and financial structure information, which could cause harm to the company and affect national interests. I believe the document was entrusted to him on the understanding that it would be kept confidential,” he said.

Jumsuri added that following the incident, Mohd Khairul Akmal was suspended from work from December 9, 2024, to February 8, 2025, to facilitate an internal investigation.

He said Petronas also has a Code of Conduct and Business Ethics that sets out disciplinary policies and actions against any employee found guilty of misconduct, including the disclosure of confidential company information.

Jumsuri said he lodged a police report to enable further investigation, as the matter involved the interests of Petronas, a government-linked company.

Meanwhile, under cross-examination by defence counsel Louis Liaw Vern Xien, the witness disagreed with the suggestion that he had lodged the police report prematurely, while the internal investigation was still ongoing.

The witness also disagreed with the defence’s suggestion that he had caused Mohd Khairul Akmal to be wrongly charged in court.

Mohd Khairul Akmal, 41, is charged with attempting to disclose information, specifically a document titled “Q1 2024 Upstream Business Performance Operational & Financial”, to Petros.

The document was obtained while he was carrying out his duties as Petronas’ Business Unit Performance Manager, at a condominium unit along Jalan Pinang here, between 3.19pm and 3.21pm on June 8, 2024.

The charge was framed under Section 203A(1) of the Penal Code, read together with Section 511 of the same Code, which provides for a maximum fine of RM1 million or imprisonment of up to one year, while Section 511 provides for a penalty not exceeding half of that prescribed under Section 203A(1), upon conviction.

The trial, before Judge Mazuliana Abdul Rashid, resumes tomorrow. — Bernama