Minister denies business monopoly as many involved in LPG cylinder distribution statewide

KUCHING (Dec 1): There will be no business monopoly of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders because many parties are involved in its distribution throughout Sarawak, said Dato Sri Julaihi Narawi.

In assuring the public, the Minister of Utility and Telecommunication pointed out that distributor PetrosNiaga Sdn Bhd comprised of state-owned petroleum company Petros and national petroleum corporation Petronas.

“Even if there is a monopoly, it would be a monopoly of the people of Malaysia,” he told reporters after visiting the LPG bottling terminal at the Independent Oil Terminal (IOT) Senari here today.

He explained Malaysian-based companies Petros and Petronas also cooperate with Senari Synergy Group, which comprises many shareholders or companies.

Julaihi also assured the public that PetrosNiaga would not only ensure safety aspects but a steady supply of LPG cylinders daily or monthly.

According to him, 700,000 LPG cylinders per month for the whole Sarawak would be more than enough supply.

There will be 16,000 LPG cylinders per day during normal production, but the number could reach up to 20,000 if they worked on weekends, he said.

He also pointed out that Petros’ subsidised LPG remained at RM26.60 per refill.

Rubbishing claims on social media that switching LPG cylinders from other companies to Petros would incur an additional charge besides refilling, he said Petros would constantly monitor the situation on the ground and probe any issue cropping up.

“As safety is our top priority, all new cylinders are in compliance with safety standards prescribed by the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (Dosh),” he said.

“Today’s working visit also demonstrates the government’s acknowledgement and endorsement of Petros’ efforts to ensure a constant and reliable supply of affordable household LPG cylinders.”

According to PetrosNiaga’s fact sheet, Petros, through its LPG arm PetrosNiaga, will be the sole supplier of subsidised LPG cylinders in Sarawak from today.

The 14kg household LPG cylinders are available for purchase through PetrosNiaga’s vast network of 65 Petros LPG dealers across Sarawak.

PetrosNiaga also assured the public that there will be no additional charges when they switch from other LPG cylinders to Petros (red) or Petronas (green) LPG cylinders.

The subsidised price of Petros LPG cylinders for household use remains at RM26.60 for self-collection.

PetrosNiaga said it welcomed experienced and interested local business entities to apply to be LPG dealers through its website at https://www.petroleumsarawak.com/petroslpg/.

“We strongly urge customers to report any dealers who impose additional fees when they switch to Petros LPG cylinders to Petrosniaga’s Customer Service at 1300-882-122.

“Stern action will be taken against dealers imposing additional charges on the cylinder switching. Also, Petros has taken the necessary measures to ensure an uninterrupted supply of reliable and affordable LPG cylinders across homes, businesses, and industries,” PetrosNiaga said.

Petros LPG cylinders are bottled at IOT Senari in Kuching and the PIRSB LPG Terminal in Bintulu.

The PetrosNiaga team, comprising dedicated multi-disciplinary professionals, is working closely with its dealers to ensure continuous subsidised LPG supply to domestic households throughout Sarawak.

“The company has put in place a comprehensive dealership management plan across its supply chain to ensure there is no supply shortage across the various sectors in Sarawak,” said PetrosNiaga adding, it is also planning to upgrade storage capacity at their facilities as well as to enhance logistics management across Sarawak.