Ministry will ensure sufficient supply of petrol, diesel

PUTRAJAYA: The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) will ensure sufficient supply of petrol and diesel for daily use across the country.

The ministry’s secretary-general Datuk Seri Jamil Salleh, in a statement today, denied claims reported recently that the public may face difficulties in obtaining diesel and petrol as the new year approaches.

According to the ministry, petrol and diesel have been gazetted as scheduled controlled items under the Control of Supplies Act 1961 since June 21, 1975.

“Therefore, the government will ensure that the supply of scheduled items are always available in the market and can be easily obtained by consumers at all times,” the statement said.

Following that, under the Control of Supplies Regulations 1974, licensed petrol station operators are required to adhere to the conditions listed.

Among the condition that must be met is that a responsible license holder would ensure sufficient supply of petrol and diesel for daily sales.

The ministry said license holders are not allowed to close their petrol stations or cease selling petroleum products at their stations without approval.

Failure to meet these conditions is a violation under Regulation 21 of the Control of Supplies Regulations 1974 and is punishable under Section 22 of the same regulations.

KPDNHEP enforcement officers will continue to conduct checks from time to time at petrol stations to ensure sufficient supply.

“If there are operators who do not follow the law and the regulations set, consumers can lodge complaints with KPDNHEP,” the statement added.

Earlier, Bumiputera Petrol Dealers Association of Malaysia (Bumipeda) president Datuk Abu Samah Bachik expressed concern that consumers might face difficulties in obtaining petrol and diesel as supplies are expected to run dry by Jan 1.

He said this stemmed from petrol station operators’ refusal to increase their reserve supply by the end of this month.

Previously, the Finance Ministry announced that the retail price of petroleum products including RON95 would be cheaper from Jan 1 onwards.

Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said this follows the move by the government to streamline the price of petroleum product prices on a monthly basis, in line with the global market price of crude oil.

Saying the move would prove to be more beneficial to consumers, Lim also announced that the government would be returning to a weekly float for the RON95 petrol price from Jan 1 onwards.

Source: NST