The untold story of a Penan boy's journey of giving back to his community

In one of the longhouses deep in the interior of Ulu Baram, Franklin George stands before a group of young men, patiently explaining what lies ahead. 

Caption: Franklin (right) briefing a group of Penan youths who participated in the ReCP training 

Training schedules, certifications, and possible job placements.

Some listen quietly. Others ask practical questions. How far they will have to travel, how long they will be away from home, and whether they can return during important seasons.

Franklin answers in a mix of Malay and Penan, shifting effortlessly between languages and registers. He understands the concerns even before they are fully formed.

He lived it himself, having grown up in a Penan family, one of the last nomadic communities in Sarawak.

Now, Franklin is an executive at Petronas, based in Miri, where he works on community initiatives that connect rural youths to skills training and employment opportunities. Work that is deeply personal to him.

Work rooted in understanding Franklin began his career with PETRONAS in 2022 as part of the Sabah–Sarawak Gas Pipeline (SSGP) team.

He later transitioned to the Petronas Sarawak regional office in 2025, while retaining the same role.

It was during his time with SSGP that he started leading the Re-skilling Community Programme (ReCP), a Petronas social impact initiative designed to open employment pathways for youths in rural Lawas, Limbang, Bintulu and Miri.

As he coordinates training schedules and seeks partners to sponsor the youths, Franklin sometimes recalls a journey from his own childhood - standing in the back of a mud-caked truck, gripping the side rail as it rattled along logging roads in Ulu Baram.

Caption: The young Franklin (left) enjoying time out with his uncle (right) and cousins in his village Long Kerong 

Back then, travel itself felt like an event. Reaching school, or the nearest town in Miri, often meant enduring hours of rough terrain.

“Long Kerong is on the way to Bario. From Miri, it’s an eight-hour drive in good weather, and longer if it rains, up to a jetty.

“From there, a small river boat takes about two hours, and when the water is shallow, the journey

can stretch to five hours, carrying or pulling the boat along,” said Franklin.

Those memories instilled in him a deep understanding of the obstacles rural youth face today. Securing training partners, coordinating logistics across remote areas, and ensuring participants receive the training are ways Franklin channels that understanding into action. He helps youths overcome barriers and turn opportunities into real outcomes.

He collaborates with organisations such as Institut Kemahiran MARA (IKM) Bintulu and TMR Technologies Sdn Bhd to deliver technical training in areas including scaffolding and mechanical fitting.

Since the inception of ReCP in 2024, Franklin and his team have brought short, intensive training to youths from Lawas, Ulu Limbang, Baram, Tinjar, Niah, and Bintulu, equipping them over one to two months with practical skills for employment.

The results are tangible. In 2024, 33 youths were successfully placed into jobs. In 2025, another 40 followed.

These youths are now certified and working with companies such as Crocker Engineering Sdn Bhd, Bina Harta Enterprise, Preveld Oil & Gas, Rahabco Engineering & Construction Bhd, Bintulu Scaffolding Sdn Bhd, and JL Expert Scaffolding.

Behind every number is a story of determination. One story stays with him.

“He was one of our registered youths in 2024. He woke up at 6am and rode his motorcycle along logging roads to join our training in Long Lama. Along the way, he punctured his tyre, but he managed to replace it and continued his journey.

“Then the motorcycle chain broke, and he was stranded in the middle of the jungle. He didn’t make it that day.

The next year, we provided transport for him, and he completed his training. Now, he has a job at the Samalaju Industrial Park in Bintulu,” Franklin recalled.

 For Franklin, stories like this give meaning to his work. The impact is tangible, visible, and life changing.

He understands what it means to be given a chance and perhaps he sees a reflection of his own journey in these youths. 

Franklin’s contribution stretches beyond mere organisational skills. It is rooted in trust. To the communities he serves, he not only speaks their language, but understands their values, hesitations and hopes.

He knows that families in rural areas carefully weigh distance, separation, and the risk of failure, especially when there is no safety net. Those insights come from his own experiences growing up in a remote Penan village.

Enduring long journeys to school and struggling to fit in as one of only a handful of Penan students at SMK Temenggong Datuk Lawai Jau, a school of nearly 600, Franklin often felt that going home might have been the safer choice.

What kept him in school was practical support. The school principal, Cikgu Mering Jok Eng, offered Franklin a place to stay, sharing meals and study space, giving him stability when it mattered most.

That early care inspires how he supports young people now. When parents hesitate, he provides practical help to their children, much as Cikgu Mering once did.

"If not for Cikgu Mering back then, I think I would have dropped out of school,” Franklin said. “I would have stopped right there.