Petrol Malaysia

An Op-Ed Analysis of the Near-Term Energy Shock and Global Vulnerability The world's energy infrastructure, for all its modern complexity, remains fundamentally reliant on narrow passages of water. Few geopolitical flashpoints illustrate this vulnerability more acutely than the Strait of Hormuz. This vital waterway, linking the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea, is the global circulatory system for energy. When tensions escalate—as witnessed during recent periods of instability—the consequences are not merely economic fluctuations; they are systemic threats capable of triggering a major global economic slowdown. The current situation, characterized by overlapping maritime restrictions and heightened military posture, forces policymakers and global markets to confront a brutal truth: the system is critically exposed.

There is a peculiar poetry in the way a barrel of Malaysian crude leaves our shores for distant refineries while another, often from farther away, arrives to keep our own engines turning. In the shadow of rising global prices and distant conflict, this dance between what we send out and what we must bring in reveals more than balance sheets ever could. Here are twelve observations on our oil exports, the reasons they do not quite quench our domestic thirst, the economic currents they stir, and the steady hand Petronas has played across five decades. Each point carries a thread that binds the seemingly separate—export ledgers and village pumps, corporate balance sheets and national memory. A petrol station in Malaysia, from Pexels.

There is something quietly profound about standing at a petrol station in Kuala Lumpur, card in hand, watching the litres click by. The price feels immediate, almost personal. Yet today it carries echoes from half a world away—where conflict in Iran has once again reminded us how tightly our daily commutes are knotted to global currents. Here are ten observations on what is unfolding at the pumps, why it is happening, and what quiet lessons we might carry forward. A photo from the Straits of Hormuz. From Pexels.

The Problem at the Petrol Pump. We have all been there. You pull up to the pump, stick the nozzle in, and watch the numbers on the screen roll up way faster than you’d like. If you have looked at the price boards lately, you know exactly what I am talking about. For the week of April 2 to 8, 2026, unsubsidized RON95 is sitting at RM 3.87 per litre , and diesel in Peninsular Malaysia has climbed to RM 6.02 per litre . Now, if you are an everyday driver qualifying for the targeted BUDI95 subsidy, you are still paying RM 1.99. But the unsubsidized numbers are hard to ignore. It leaves a lot of us asking a very fair question over our morning teh tarik: “Why is this happening right now? Why are we suddenly paying more to get from point A to point B?” Straits of Hormuz. To find the answer, we actually have to look thousands of kilometers away from Malaysia, to a narrow stretch of water called the Strait of Hormuz.

After many years of dormancy, Petrol Malaysia is being revived at a time when global energy systems are under unprecedented strain. The ongoing disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz — and the resulting oil supply shocks — have revealed how deeply energy is intertwined with daily life, economics, and geopolitics. This website is my attempt to document and understand these developments. In Short Petrol Malaysia is a Malaysian-based platform that explains global energy events, fuel price movements, and economic impacts — in clear, practical terms for everyday people and decision-makers.

Cab Hailing Companies are Hot Right Now. If you live in Kuala Lumpur, or one of the other major cities, you would no doubt have heard, or even used, a cab hailing app like Grab or Uber. They are also known as "e-hailing services".  Grab and Uber are popular e-hailing apps in Malaysia When they first started in Malaysia, it sparked a trend for car owners who needed extra income to drive for one of the two companies. Uber is US-based, while Grab is homegrown. (Founder Anthony Tan's grandfather apparently founded Tan Chong Motors.)  As their popularity began to increase, taxi drivers protested, because they were being deprived of business. They held protests and press conferences. One spokesman even announced that he would vote against BN if Grab and Uber were allowed to operate. But the apps were allowed to operate, seemingly for the benefit of the masses. While using the apps to hail a cab driver, you could see the prices indicated, a huge plus for pas...

"Energy needs to be decarbonized, decentralized, and digitized" You can download and watch the video by clicking here . The title of this post is from a promotional video for a "MOOC", which is short for "Massive Online Open Course". MOOCs are real course modules from universities, opened for enrolment to anyone in the world. The words "massive" and "open" mean that anyone can join... and so can you! The MOOC is " New Energy Technologies: Energy Transition and Sustainable Development ". It is being offered the Grenoble Ecole de Management (GEM), on FutureLearn, the UK MOOC platform . Here is a description of the MOOC: Discover how business and technology are taking on the world’s energy challenges In a world facing pressing energy challenges, the need for alternative energy and new energy technologies has never been more pressing. This course explores the new and upcoming technologies that may help solve som...

The first article Today I was referred an article at Sinar Harian, " Perang Harga Minyak Bermula! ". Translated into English, it means, "The Oil Price Wars Begin!" And in that article there is a tantalizing line: "...setiap stesen minyak akan berlumba-lumba menawarkan harga bahan api yang istimewa bagi menggoda pengguna untuk mengisi petrol atau diesel di stesen mereka." Translated into English, it means, "... every petrol station will race to offer special prices for petrol to seduce consumers to fill in petrol or diesel at their station." That seems to imply that different petrol stations will have different petrol prices!

What is OPEC? OPEC stands for the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. It is an intergovernmental organization, created in 1960 at the behest of Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela. These five countries are commonly called the Founding Countries of OPEC. If you stare hard enough at the OPEC logo, you might see four barrels of oil. Other countries which are members of OPEC include: Qatar (joined 1961),  Indonesia (joined 1962),  Libya (joined 1962),  the United Arab Emirates (joined 1967),  Algeria (joined 1969),  Nigeria (joined 1971),  Ecuador (joined 1973),  Gabon (joined 1975) and  Angola (joined 2007).

What are the differences? In the oil and gas industry, there are various sectors which may be conveniently be described as upstream, midstream, and downstream.  "Upstream" refers to the exploration and production of oil. "Midstream" refers to the transporting, processing, and storing of oil. "Downstream" refers to the manufacturing, refining, petro-chemicals, marketing, and retailing of oil. This is how the upstream river looks like.

Oil prices are down. It's no secret. Oil prices are down and today's newspaper featured experts who estimated that USD40 to USD50 per barrel will be the new "normal" for the next five to six years. The days of multi-month bonuses are gone. The days of oil and gas being the lucrative sector are a distant memory.  The oil companies are now facing the reality of cheap oil: Hurrah say the developing nations! Hurrah say the advanced nations! And in the quiet corner of the room, the oil-producing countries shed their tears quietly. If you feel bad about being laid off, don't. It wasn't your fault. At least, if you were laid off along with a few hundred other folks. If you were laid off by yourself then it's probably you.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak shared a moment with US President Barack Obama. He was in Southern California for a working visit. Source: The Star The Prime Minister's Speech Sometime in February this year, the Malaysian Prime Minister, Dato Seri Najib Tun Razak, stood before a crowd of Malaysian students in Southern California. He was there for a six day working visit, to meet 16 fund managers from 11 US firms in San Francisco. The Prime Minister was quoted in New Straits Times as saying: If you look at the oil price today and what it was one year ago, it means we would lose RM40 billion. Can you imagine, without GST, what kind of adverse impact it would have on not only the economy, but also the people’s welfare? It was his way of addressing the recalibration of the Malaysian 2016 Budget, in response to a projected revenue loss due to the dropping price of oil per barrel. It is not clear whether it also took into consideration the drop of the Ringgit. W...

The Piper Alpha Incident 167 lives were lost in the Piper Alpha Incident On 6th July 1988, 167 lives were lost in the Piper Alpha disaster . From Wikipedia: Piper Alpha was a North Sea oil production platform operated by Occidental Petroleum (Caledonia) Ltd. The platform began production in 1976, first as an oil-only platform and later converted to add gas production. An explosion, and the resulting oil and gas fires, destroyed it on 6 July 1988, killing 167, including two crewmen of a rescue vessel; 61 survived. The total insured loss was about £1.7 billion (US$3.4 billion). At the time of the disaster, the platform accounted for approximately ten percent of North Sea oil and gas production, and the accident was the worst offshore oil disaster in terms of lives lost and industry impact. The Kirk of St Nicholas in Union Street, Aberdeen has dedicated a chapel in memory of those who perished and there is a memorial sculpture in the Rose Garden of Hazlehead Park in Aberdeen...

The incident at Setapak Indah involved a 25 year old lady teacher from Batu Caves. Source: The Sun Daily Setapak Indah: 25 year old victim On 28th June 2016, a 25 year old woman "suffered serious burns all over her body at a petrol station in Setapak Indah ... after she took a call on her handphone inside her carwhile filling it up with petrol. An explosive burst of flames lasting just a second was all it took to severely torch the teacher from Batu Caves." (Source: The Sun, 29th June, 2016. Page 3) The incident occurred at about 1.25pm. Firemen arrived in 10 minutes to find the lady in "a semi-conscious state in the rear passenger seat". She had suffered from 60% burns all over her body. The woman had been seen filling up her car when her cellphone (on the rear passenger seat) rang. She locked the fuel nozzle trigger and entered the car to answer the call. She closed the door and picked up the call. Immediately, there was a loud explosion and flame...

Takata Airbags ... Defective? Takata, an airbag manufacturer, has been linked to defective airbags that inflate with too much force. Metal parts or shrapnel to lodge into the driver's chest and other vital parts, leading to death. A number Honda cars are fitted with Takata airbags.  The Takata airbag's defects while inflating has caused shrapnel and bits of metal to shoot out at the driver. Honda Malaysia has launched a massive recall recently (again) as the number of Malaysian casualties increase. Source of image Malaysian Casualties Here is a list of some Malaysian casualties compiled from a casual search on the Internet, using Google. 27th July, 2014: Woman and her fetus died. Location: Sibu, Malaysia. Car model: 2003 Honda City. Cause: Victim's car crashed into another car, and victim's "SRS air-bag was deployed abnormally and the inflator case was broken." ( Bloomberg, 2014. ) Victim's name was Law Suk Leh. ( BusinessInsider, 2016...

The SCMP Report from 2012 In September 2012, the South China Morning Post reported on Malaysia's oil and gas industry. The report highlighted Malaysia's Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), under the leadership of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. It called the ETP the embodiment of "Malaysia's aspirations for an integrated oil and gas industry in Asia", a long-term plan requiring investments of USD100 billion from the private sector. The Prime Minister, Najib Tun Razak, was quoted saying, "The government will develop Malaysia into a leading oil and gas services hub in Asia, grow Malaysia's role in oil storage, logistics and trading and import LNG [liquefied natural gas] to serve latent gas demand and attract new gas-based industries." Further from the SCMP Report: Large crude oil and fuel cargoes from the Middle East have to be split into smaller cargo deliveries within the region. At the same time, regional producers need a terminal to a...

And It's A Law! Did you know that petrol stations must have sufficient fuel? If they run out of fuel supply, they must order more. This may not be a big thing in Kuala Lumpur, but imagine what happens in the more remote areas of the country! The scenario goes like this: Petrol prices are falling (they have been falling for a few months), and it's the last day of the month, maybe half a day to the next month. The petrol station owner is sorely tempted not  to refill his station because he knows, if he orders fuel today, and fills his tanks, within 12 hours the oil in the storage tanks would be worth less than he paid for them. Because oil prices are falling, whatever he pays for oil today is more than what he would pay tomorrow (i.e. the next month). So should the petrol station refill? In Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley in general (including Petaling Jaya), it might not be an issue. Just drive ten minutes and voila! There's another petrol station. But let's im...

In a report "Oil and Gas Reality Check 2015" by consulting firm Deloitte one of the issues discussed was the dynamics of the demand for oil. Among some of the points raised in the report on the shifting dynamics of oil demand, were: The International Energy Agency forecasted that demand for oil would grow by 0.9 MMbbl/d in 2015.  China's demand for oil is strong and remains a "demand center", with projected demand for oil at 18 MMbbl/d in 2040. However, its main sources for oil may change in time. European demand for oil is expected to maintain at 14 MMbbl/d in 2040. In the US, crude oil imports have dropped 3% year-on-year as of January 2015. Players in the oil industry are starting to focus on domestic (US) demand, which are seen as more stable. Japan's oil demand has dropped 22% since 2000, with increasing reliance on natural gas and nuclear. Nuclear is seen as a viable main source of energy. The Asia Pacific oil-importing countries accounted for...

Ranhill Holdings Bhd. is a Malaysian company. Recently it has denied being involved in the Unaoil bribery scandal. The following is a photograph of a recent newspaper report (source: The Sun Daily, 6th April 2016.) The recent statement from Ranhill Holdings Bhd. reads as follows: "....we wish to clarify and confirm that neither Ranhill Holdings Bhd nor any of its group of companies has entered into any transaction or arrangement with Unaoil. We wish to further clarify that at Ranhill, we have due process prescribed in the forms of policies and procedures in regards to engagement of third parties that include due diligence process and we practise code of conduct and good business ethics." For the curious readers, they may like to read the article linking Ranhill to Unaoil  (article by The Age, Australia).  My Thoughts on the Matter Here is my advice to Ranhill: The right response would be to demand that The Age withdraw its statement from the offending ar...

Extract: "In Asia, traders have stored excess gasoline on tankers as onshore storage facilities in Singapore and Malaysia are filled to the rims. Analysts say crude prices could soon fall again as an emerging gasoline glut potentially adds to a global overhang in crude output that sees more than 1 million barrels of oil produced in excess of demand everyday." Former Shell President, John Hofmeister said that it's a good thing that oil prices have fallen. "It’s a good thing we have a lot of oil in storage because it provides some security on the supply side. And I worry about the day that our storage starts to drop because then how do we protect ourselves from all the threats out there to what is otherwise a market situation that’s seeking equilibrium?"  Mr. Hofmeister also said that oil should be normalizing back to USD80 per barrel by this year's end. In the meantime, my wife's friend's British husband has lost his job in the offshore...