More than ever, families are gathering over meals cooked at home. We are honoured to be part of every meal in every Sarawakian home.
— Tan Sri Hamid Bugo, Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (Petros) chairman
In Sarawak, we are used to gas cylinders of two different colours — the green ones from Petronas and the yellow ones from Shell.
Next year, we will be introduced to red gas cylinders from state-owned oil and gas company Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (Petros).
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg launched Petros’ own liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in Kuching last Wednesday.
“This red LPG barrel is a product of Sarawak as we have extracted the gas from our land and converted it to LPG. The gas and the barrel are all made in Sarawak,” he said at the launch.
Abang Johari revealed that the Petros LPG would sell for RM26.60 statewide and will be exported to Kalimantan in Indonesia.
Petros chairman Tan Sri Hamid Bugo said Petros would start supplying its LPG for the first time in Kuching and Samarahan divisions from next year. He said the supply of domestic gas to homes, businesses and industries would cover other parts of the state the following year.
Hamid added that within four to five years, Petros aims to provide at least one gas cylinder to each Sarawakian domestic household.
“We will further support Sarawakians with a cleaner burning, more efficient and safe cooking fuel.
“More than ever, families are gathering over meals cooked at home. We are honoured to be part of every meal in every Sarawakian home,” he said.
Next year, when Petros starts supplying its LPG for the first time in Kuching and Samarahan divisions, what will happen to the Petronas LPG and Shell LPG? Will they be phased out eventually — either by tough competition from Petros or by legislation? I guess we have to wait and see.
Currently, most Sarawakian homes have at least two gas cylinders. Businesses will also have at least two or even more gas cylinders. It is wise to have extra cylinders of cooking gas.
There is nothing more distressful than to run out of gas while you are in the middle of cooking a meal and having to wait for the next supply of gas to be delivered to your doorstep.
I once ran out of gas while cooking a reunion dinner on the eve of Chinese New Year. The shop where I usually ordered my gas had closed for the long Chinese New Year holidays. I had no choice but to load my empty green Petronas cylinder and travel about four miles from my house to look for gas. Luckily, a sundry shop selling gas was still open for business. Otherwise, there would have been no reunion dinner for us that Chinese New Year!
Those unforgettable incidents taught me a valuable lesson — always have spare gas cylinders at home. Not long after that, I bought another gas cylinder. This time, it was a yellow barrel from Shell.
As a consumer, I value fast and efficient services. Whenever my gas runs out, I’d just call my usual supplier and within minutes, a green lorry loaded with Petronas cylinders will be at my doorstep.
I cannot remember how much I am paying for my Petronas gas. One cylinder of gas now lasts me more than a month because I don’t cook every day. But if Petros LPG is cheaper than Petronas LPG or Shell LPG, I will — like many other consumers — definitely switch to it to save costs. Consumers also prefer an LPG that is available easily and has vast and efficient distribution channels. When we call for gas, we want it to be at our doorstep as soon as possible.
In the rural areas where there are no roads, gas cylinders have to transported by rivers.
Sometimes, they arrive at longhouses in long boats and express boats. But some of the cylinders sent to longhouses by distributors had even gone missing, revealed Hulu Rajang MP Datuk Wilson Ugak Kumbong recently when debating on the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry’s allocation in Parliament. He urged the ministry to step up its enforcement activities to ensure all goods delivered to rural areas reach their destinations.
When I was a little girl, many households in Sibu used firewood to cook. There were even inbuilt fireplaces in some of the houses. I remember an old woman from China who used charcoal to cook her rice and boil her water.
Because of the soot, there were black streaks on the walls of many wooden houses at that time.
Many pots and pans also turned black.
Now, many households, especially in the urban areas of Sarawak, are using LPG and black streaks on walls and black pots and pans have become things of the past. They only exist in our memories.
