In a statement, MTEN’s crisis management team advised the public against speculation and urged reliance on official government sources, Bernama reported.
Earlier, the Philippine News Agency reported that about 329,000 barrels, or 52.311 million litres, of diesel from Malaysia had been shipped to the Philippines to boost the country’s fuel supply amid global market uncertainties.
According to the report, the shipment was part of efforts by the Philippine government to strengthen domestic supply, following an earlier delivery of 142,000 barrels, or 22.578 million litres, from Japan on March 26.
Petronas, in a separate statement, also denied any involvement in the reported shipment of diesel from Malaysia to the Philippines, as cited in recent foreign media reports.
It clarified that it had not entered into any arrangement with any party in the Philippines regarding the supply of diesel.
“Petronas’s utmost priority remains ensuring reliable and continuous fuel supply for Malaysia, in close coordination with the government and relevant stakeholders,” the national oil company said.
On March 29, Petronas had issued a similar denial that it was involved in a fuel supply arrangement with a local government in the Philippines.
This followed a report by ABS-CBN, a major Philippine media and news organisation, that the Davao del Norte province in Mindanao planned to import 44 million litres of diesel from Petronas.
Restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping lane that carries about 20% of the world’s oil, have affected energy supplies across the globe.
The Philippines declared a national energy emergency on March 24, with president Ferdinand Marcos Jr stating that urgent measures were necessary to ensure the stability of energy supplies, continuity of economic activity, and delivery of essential services.
Last night, deputy domestic trade and cost of living minister Fuziah Salleh sought to assure the public the nation’s supply of fuel remained sufficient after multiple Shell stations ran out of RON95 petrol and diesel.
She said an increase in demand for fuel in several locations had caused the temporary disruption of supply to just a few stations.
“The ministry and industry players are monitoring the situation closely and efforts to restore supply are being made.”