JOHOR BAHRU: The conflict in the Middle East is appearing to cause some people to resort to pretty unusual acts to obtain, and perhaps store, fuel.
Shortly after Feb 28, when the United States and Israel began bombing Iran, the Strait of Hormuz had all but closed. Since it is one of the most important chokepoints for oil across the globe, it caused the price of crude oil to skyrocket to over US$100 per barrel (over S$129), and with the future supply uncertain, many nations have adopted conservation measures. Countries in Asia have been particularly affected because the region gets much of its oil from the Middle East.
Even Malaysia, in spite of being an oil-producing country, is still heavily reliant on the Persian Gulf for around half its fuel needs.
Like other countries in the region, the prices of non-subsidised fuel and diesel have gone up in Malaysia.
This may be the reason why a man and a woman were caught on camera in a possible attempt to stockpile petrol.
In videos posted on the 新柔大小事 Facebook page, they are seen at a fuel station filling white plastic containers, likely to be jerry cans of sorts, that were stored in the boot of a black car that had a number plate from Johor Bahru.
They went to one pump and obtained 71.7 litres of fuel, which cost RM234.69 (S$76.03), for the containers in the rear compartment of their vehicle. Then they moved on to another pump and filled up with fuel for the car itself.
The post author also put up a screenshot that cited Malaysian law capping the limit of petrol or diesel in plastic containers to 20 litres.
It said that these containers need to be secure and sealed, adding that anyone wanting to purchase more than 20 litres is required to do so through the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDN), which issues a permit for this purpose. Individuals who do so without the permit face serious penalties, including as much as RM1 million (S$326,000) in fines, a jail sentence of as long as three years, or both. /TISG
