adminKOTA KINABALU: The current supply of petrol, diesel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in the country is stable and so far there has been no shortage as claimed, said Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali.
He said the current fuel supply situation in Malaysia was more stable than several other countries, including regional countries.
“The matter that has arisen and is being publicized is an isolated issue regarding logistics which has caused delivery delays of several hours in several locations, particularly during the festive season which has seen increased demand.
“This matter has been addressed and continuous monitoring is being carried out to ensure that the delivery of supplies runs smoothly,” he said in a Facebook post today after paying a courtesy call on Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
Armizan said the alleged insufficient fuel supply at several petrol stations in Sabah recently, which was linked to the scenario occurring in neighbouring countries experiencing supply disruption issues, was explained to Hajiji during the visit.
In this regard, he asked the public not to panic buy as the current supply is guaranteed.
Armizan also reminded that any sale and filling of fuel other than vehicle tanks without a special permit is an offence under the Supply Control Act 1961, particularly the provisions under the Supply Control Regulations 1974 and the Supply Control Regulations (Amendment) 2021.
“The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) will not compromise and will act strictly against any party that violates the regulations. Petrol station operators are also reminded to always comply with the regulations and report any violations to the authorities,” he said.
Armizan said that during the meeting with Hajiji, he gave a briefing on the results of the Supreme Committee Meeting on the Coordination of Combating Leakage and Smuggling between Enforcement Agencies (JTPAP) which was activated as a step to strengthen the enforcement agenda to combat fuel smuggling and embezzlement activities, especially in border areas including in Sabah.
He said the risk of leakage was increasing due to the West Asian conflicts and the high price gap between subsidized fuel prices in the country and market and retail prices in neighbouring countries.
Meanwhile, Hajiji in a statement stressed the importance of a consistent fuel supply to support the state’s economic activities, including the logistics, fisheries and agriculture sectors which rely heavily on the use of diesel.
Hajiji also received a courtesy call from the Chairman of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) Tan Sri Mohd Salim Fateh Din who gave a briefing on the progress of the implementation of the National Digital Network Plan (JENDELA) in Sabah as well as the Kota Kinabalu City Hall Smart City initiative (DBKK Smart City).
— BERNAMA
