Diesel Bound For Australia Not Owned By Malaysia -- Fahmi

KUALA LUMPUR, April 22 (Bernama) -- The 200 million litres of diesel shipped to Australia do not belong to Malaysia, said Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzi.

He said a report from an Australian news agency claimed that the shipment involved several countries, including Brunei and Malaysia.

“A joint review by the Communications Command Centre under the National Economic Action Council (MTEN) and other relevant parties confirmed that the diesel does not belong to Malaysia.

“This situation is similar to the previous case of diesel shipments to the Philippines,” he said during the Communications Minister’s weekly media conference today.

According to Fahmi, Australia had a trade contract with British Petroleum (BP), which owns a storage facility in Malaysian waters, and the vessel carrying the diesel would depart from Malaysia.

“However, that fuel is not Malaysian diesel,” he emphasised.

Previously, certain parties alleged that the government sold the fuel to Australia at a time when the world was facing energy supply uncertainty.

-- BERNAMA