Malaysia: Panic Buying in Sabah
|
|
|
|
Friday, 27 June 2008 |
|
Petrol retail service stations were packed with motorists earlier this
week as panic-buying of fuel was seen throughout Sabah over rumours of
petrol retail service stations closing down for three days.
The panic was triggered by rumours that petrol kiosk will shut down
from because protesting kiosk dealers nationwide were demanding
higher commissions following the recent fuel hike.
Officials from Shell Malaysia and the Sabah Petroleum Dealers
Association stressed that there was no truth to the rumour, and urged
people not to resort to panic buying. "We were told that petrol kiosks
were going to close for three days. I rushed from my office to fill my
tank," said motorist Abdul Rashmin Salleh, who said there were also
rumours of further price hikes.
Most petrol retail service stations and roads approaching them were
crowded as people waited in long queues to get their tanks filled up;
traffic in the city centre came to a standstill during the office rush
hour.
In some areas like interior Keningau, queues were as long as 2km
resulting in the natural closure of the site as the site ran out of
supply. "Shell retail stations nationwide continue with normal
operating hours," a Sabah Shell spokesman said in a statement.
PetrolWorld 260608
|
