Penguang sees red over shortage of fuel in Marudi
Petronas as well as the kiosk operators must be more active in resolving the issues at any cost and be more people and serviceoriented.
MARUDI: Assistant Minister of Local Government Datu Dr Penguang Manggil chided Petronas Dagangan and petrol kiosk operators here for failing to take mitigating steps to avert the fuel shortage in this district.
The Marudi assemblyman was commenting on The Borneo Post report that consumers in Marudi and riverine settlements were agitated that the petrol kiosk in town had not been dispensing fuel for many days.
The situation has left the people and government agencies in a lurch as they need fuel to run their vehicles and boats and power up their generators, equipment and other tools like rice mills and bush cutters.
Dr Penguang said it was unacceptable that Petronas and its kiosk operators failed to find alternative means of sending fuel to Marudi and letting supplies to run out during the rainy season that had caused despair and inconvenience to flood victims because boats could not reach them due to fuel shortage.
Express boats were affected.
Dr Penguang said he learnt that Petronas cited safety reasons for not sending supplies to Marudi.
“Petronas as well as the kiosk operators must be more active in
Datu Dr Penguang Manggil, Assistant Minister of Local Government
also resolving the issues at any cost and be more people and serviceoriented,” he said.
He said they should have consulted CMS, the contractor doing improvement works on the Marudi-Miri road, on how to bring the fuel to Marudi.
“Address the issue such as by repairing the stretches where oil tankers have difficulty in passing through instead of leaving the problem unresolved and letting the people suffer,” he said.
“As the people’s representative, I wish to see this fuel crisis resolved soonest possible. I urge Petronas and operators to see beyond profit especially during this hard time and explore other means necessary to resolve it,” he added.
Meanwhile, sources familiar with the industry said Petronas failed to send fuel to Marudi town by oil tankers in the past 40 days, leaving the only Shell station there struggling to cope with the sudden spillover demand.
“How can they offer that as an excuse when Shell can send fuel to its station? This is about the needs and welfare of the rural people of Sarawak,” fumed a consumer who declined to be named.
When contacted, the kiosk operator in Marudi declined to comment, saying he was not authorised to make any statement.
He, however, said he was looking forward to meeting Penguang to explain the actual circumstances.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Datuk Henry Sum Agong and Petronas Corporate Affairs did not return calls for comments on the situation.