MALACCA: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said he has made a specific offer to Tan Sri Hassan Merican to serve the government and country after he is no longer helming Petronas.

The national oil corporation's president and chief executive officer whose contract ends on Feb 9, however, needed time to consider it as he wanted to rest and settle some personal matter, the prime minister said.

Speaking to reporters after a walkabout during his one-day visit here, Najib said: "I had a discussion with him about what he can contribute to the government and country."

It has been 55 years since Mercedes-Benz had a factory team so it goes without saying that the cars would carry the silver arrows colour scheme.

The muted Petronas colours may not stand out as much as we would like but it does look gook as part of the gleaming metal paintwork

For the hi-res gallery and rest of story, follow the JUMP

THE two biggest names in grand prix racing is Ferrari and Mercedes-Benz.

Both have a storied history and are considered legendary brands so when the opportunity arose, Petronas made the right decision to partner with the German carmaker.

Malaysia has taken over the presidency of the International Gas Union (IGU) with Datuk Dr Abdul Rahim Hashim of Petronas filling the top post until 2012.

Dr Abdul Rahim, who is Petronas' research technology vice-president, is also Malaysian Gas Association (MGA) president.

It is only the second time that an Asian country, after Japan in 2003, is helming the Oslo-based organisation which has over 100 members worldwide to promote technical and economic progress of the gas industry.

PETRONAS Dagangan Berhad (PDB) has included two units of B-Double tankers into its fleet of product movers, making it the first company in Malaysia to have high capacity tankers equipped with technologically-advanced safety and security features to deliver its product to its customers.

FORMER Home Minister Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar (pic) has denied he has been appointed chairman of the national oil corporation, Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas).

The blogosphere had been rife with speculations of Syed Hamid’s “appointment” some months ago and was rumoured to follow after Ethos & Co’s Omar Ong’s recent appointment as independent, non-executive director of Petronas.

OXFORD-trained Omar Ong, the controversial boss of Ethos & Company, has been appointed to the board of Petronas as a director, ending months of speculation.

The appointment letter was given to Omar, 38, just before Hari Raya, sources said.

PETRONAS introduced the Dynamic Diesel, Malaysia's fi rst diesel fuel that meets the Euro 2 emission standard last week.

Petronas Dynamic Diesel is specially formulated with the Sinar D07 additive which not only cleans but maintains the cleanliness of the engine, resulting in better fuel economy and lower exhaust emission.

PETRONAS has formed a smart partnership with the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (Fomca) to educate the public on their spending habits as a means of weathering the current global economic crisis.

The "Change Begins With Me" campaign would not only be focused on schools and institutions but also include the public, to derive long term benefits in educating and creating awareness among consumers, Petronas vice-president (corporate services) Ahmad Nizam Salleh today.