Malaysian oil training firm Pelita Maslaut has confirmed that it will increase its student intake for its seafaring courses.

According to Bernama, operation and quality manager Mohd Safrin Masni said that the planned increase was a response to demands from the local shipping industry and the Malaysian oil and gas industry.

"We are going to sign more memorandums of understanding (MoUs) for the supply of trained seafarers with a few more companies in the state soon," he said.

The company has already signed a MoU with Jaya Coastal to address the shortfall in the number of Malaysian workers it employs.

Currently, more than 70 per cent of positions at the company are held by foreigners.

In October 2008, the company's managing director told Bernama that more than 60 per cent of the people employed by Malaysian shipping firms were from India, the Philippines, Indonesia and Burma.

Oil and Gas Directory: Training and Development