Sell fuel on Jan 1 or risk losing licences, petrol station dealers warned

PETALING JAYA: Petrol station operators have been warned of stern action if they hoard or refuse to sell fuel from Jan 1.

Notices have been sent out to remind operators not to run afoul of the law, Iskandar Halim Sulaiman, special operations deputy director to the domestic trade and consumer affairs ministry, told Star Online.

“We’ve sent out about two-thirds of the notices. Even rural petrol stations will get a notice.

“Petrol and diesel are scheduled items under the Control of Supplies Act 1961 and are also important commodities.

“If there’s any shortage, there will be chaos.”

Failure to ensure sufficient fuel supply, closing petrol stations or halting sales would cause the operators to run afoul of the Control of Supplies Regulations 1974, Iskandar warned.

Offenders found guilty could result in a fine of RM1 million. The fine increases to RM3 million for the second offence and they risk losing their licences.

Iskandar said the ministry’s 2,300 enforcement officers had been instructed to check on all 3,700 petrol stations to ensure there is sufficient fuel on Jan 1.

Earlier this week, Bumiputera Petrol Dealers Association of Malaysia president Abu Samah Bachik said petrol station dealers were reluctant to replenish their stocks as the government is expected to reduce fuel prices from Jan 1.

He said dealers who buy supplies at high prices will suffer losses when the prices go down.

Petrol dealers are also unhappy about the government’s proposal to have a weekly float system to determine fuel prices. They prefer the prices to be set monthly. -FMT