​​On 15 September 2017, blogger Syed Akbar Ali on his OutSyed the Box site alleged that PETRONAS was planning to terminate 5,000 employees next year in what was claimed as another round of "staff reduction" exercise group-wide.

PETRONAS categorically denies the blogger's allegation. The group's business review exercise conducted last year had affected 2,300 jobs as previously announced. There is currently no plan to undertake another exercise of that scale.

PETRONAS, however, is committed to building a high-performing work culture where manpower optimization and functional streamlining are an on-going process requiring greater capability and accountability as well as more stringent performance evaluation among its employees.