KUCHING: Bintulu Member of Parliament (MP) Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing has urged the agencies responsible for diesel shortage in Bintulu to ensure the supply resumes by today or else he will have no choice but to raise the matter in the federal cabinet tomorrow (Aug 30).
He said diesel shortage in Bintulu is nothing new and it’s the people who suffer the most and are kept in the dark.
“If the supply is not resumed today, I will raise this matter at the Cabinet level on Wednesday. If any illegal activity is detected, be prepared for legal action,” he said in a statement today.
Tiong, who is the federal Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister, said Bintulu has once again experienced a shortage of diesel, causing the people to pack the petrol stations with long queues for a diesel rush.
He urged the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDNHEP) Bintulu to be strict with the local operators of petrol stations involved and immediately return supply to normal levels.
“When diesel or petrol shortages occur, entire sectors will feel the effects, especially the transportation industry. It is one of the most essential basic necessities for the (transportation) industry.
“We want the KPDNHEP Bintulu to launch investigations on the ground promptly,” he said.
According to Tiong, such frequent and serious fuel shortages hardly occur in other parts of the country, hence, it is quite obvious that the entire supply chain of Bintulu is caused by human factors.
“But maddeningly, the KPDNHEP Bintulu does not seem to respond to them and implement the necessary strategies to prevent them from happening,” he said.
“Have the authorities ignored problems that would affect this vital industry? Are they blind or just refuse to acknowledge that there are issues?
“It should have occurred to the authorities that there are criminals who try to control the fuel supply behind their backs, to make illicit profits through a monopoly.
“I urge the authorities to look into it because this type of criminal method is nothing new. The responsible enforcement and investigation units must act fast and tough on these lawbreakers and make them face the legal consequences,” he stressed.
