sms punya pasal

KOTA KINABALU: Petrol kiosks were jammed with motorists as panic buying of fuel was seen throughout Sabah over rumours of petrol kiosks closing for three days.

The panic triggered at about 1.00pm as rumours spread that petrol kiosks would remain shut from today (Wednesday) in protest to demand higher commissions for petrol kiosk dealers nation-wide following the recent fuel hike.

Shell Malaysia officials as well as Sabah Petroleum Dealers Association officials stressed that there were no truth to the rumours spread and urged people not to resort to panic buying.

And the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs in response to New Sabah Times queries said that they were sending their officers statewide to check on what was termed as “persistent rumours”.A spokesperson said that they had received complaints from the public as well as heard of the rumours that the ‘shut down’ would be last Monday, “but nothing happened until today (Tuesday)”.

“We do not know which retail brand stations are involved …. Petronas, Shell or Esso or all three. It may turn out to be nothing more than a rumour,” he said.

But motorists were not taking chances.

“We were told that petrol kiosk was going to close for three days. I rushed from my office to fill my tank,” said a motorist Abdul Rashmin Salleh as the claims of a possible shut down in the future twisted into rumours of fuel price hike and total closures of kiosk.

Despite being assured that there was no shut down nor any fuel hikes, one motorist said that he was not taking the risk as there was a possibility for an increase as the government had done it before.

Most petrol kiosks and roads approaching it remained jammed as people waited in long queues to get their tanks filled up till late evening while the town centre here the traffic came to a standstill during evening office hour rush.

In some areas like interior Keningau, the queue was up to two kilometres long and some kiosks even exhausted their diesel and petrol supplies.

Many were also angry with the government for the recent fuel hike that has resulted in many of the interior people having to travel far to secure fuel supplies as there were very few kiosk available.

Sabah Petroleum Dealers Association president Charles Soong explained that they had just stopped the credit card sales as part of a decision by the national Petroleum Dealers Association advisory to all its 3,500 dealers nationwide.

“We are in the process of negotiating for a higher commission through our national body with the government. “It is still in discussion though we have decided to stop the use of credit card from today (Wednesday),” he said, adding that they had a plan to shut down stations for eight-hours on a future date to be fixed.

“I have been explaining to the people coming to my kiosk to come back tomorrow. But they did not believe me or told me that their tanks were empty,” added Soong.

Sabah Shell Corporate Affairs and government relations for Sabah/Labuan head Datin Lucy Yong assured that all customers that there was no truth to the rumours circulating.

“Shell retail stations nationwide continue normal operation hours and the acceptance of credit cards and subsidised cards,” she said in a statement here in stressing that it was business as usual at Shell retail stations.

The Ministry official warned petrol dealers that stern action would be taken against them if indeed anyone close shop on purpose hoping to gain higher commissions.

“We can take action against them under Section 16 1B of the Supply Control Act 1961 and offenders can be slapped with an RM250,000 fine or jailed for up to five years,” said the spokesman.

For two hotel employees, Anuar, 24 and Tahir, 38, said rumour or not, they were filling up their tanks and buying additional supply.

“Without fuel we cannot go to work or send our children to school,” they said when met at a petrol station along Jalan Tengku Abdul Rahman.

Another motorist, S Michael said he came to the station to fill up as his tank was empty, “but on seeing the queue and hearing that the stations may boycott sales, I filled the whole tank.”

Fredolin, 32, however said he was informed that petrol would go up to RM4.30 per litre tomorrow.

The manager of the Yun Cheong Shell Services station along Jalan Mat Salleh who asked not to be named said he personally did not know of any boycott.

“My station will be open tomorrow and as long as I get my supply,” he added.

(Sabah times)

Bangang punye keje,,makhluk sengal mana ler yg sebarkan sms kononnya stesen² minyak nak tutup 3 hari kt sabah nih,,menyusahkan orang tul ler,,bikin panas jer. Di sebabkan sms bodoh itu,,org ramai menyerbu stesen² minyak yg berdekatan mereka menyebabkan jalan raya sesak,,mmg menyusahkan orang btul la.

Aku sbnrnya langung tak tau menahu pasal sms nih,,budak² opis aku pun sama ler cam aku,,langsung tk tau,,Semalam aku kuar opis dlm kul 5.50 ptg dan berhajat nak isi minyak kete aku tuh sbb klau aku tak isi mmg sah punyer aku tk akan smpi umah,,hahaha,,biler jer aku kuar dari simpang nak masuk highway,,aku punyer ler terkejut tahap Bigfoot,,jalanraya sesak giler,,sll jalan tuh tak pernah sesak,,sbnrnya stesen minyak tuh tk jauh dari tempat keje aku nih,,nak taknak terpaksa gak aku berbaris panjang utk isi minyak,,uwaaaaaaaa,,smpi nak ttdo aku tunggu sbb kete langusung tak begerak,,mmg bikin panas tul,,bla smpi giliran aku dah kul 7.30 mlm,,klau aku tau cam nih,,kuar lunch aku isi dah minyak kete nih,,

arinna : aku pun salah gak,,dah tau minyak dah tggl sikit,,tk nak isi awal²,,hehehe,,