KUALA LUMPUR — The government is doubling down on ensuring sufficient fuel and essential goods to keep Malaysia’s economy running, says Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir.
“The fuel supply issue is the biggest challenge during the global energy crisis, and the country’s priority is to ensure sufficient supply,” he stressed.
Akmal Nasrullah noted that global institutions, including the World Bank, have identified the crisis as a supply-driven problem.
“Therefore, all available resources should be focused on guaranteeing the supply of fuel and basic goods to enable economic activities to continue,” he told Bernama before appearing on Bernama TV’s Ruang Bicara programme, Addressing the Global Energy Crisis: Efforts to Strengthen Economic Resilience.
Responding to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s assurance that Malaysia’s fuel reserves can last until June, Akmal Nasrullah expressed confidence in Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas).
“I believe Petronas will strive to ensure continued supply even beyond that,” he said, while cautioning that many nations are now prioritising domestic needs.
“My medium-term expectation is that some countries may start viewing relationships (diplomacy) more like a barter system — what they can get and what we can offer. So, this will be one of the strategies that should be examined in depth to ensure that national interest is safeguarded in our relations with other countries.”
Akmal Nasrullah also highlighted the opportunity to accelerate biodiesel adoption as part of Malaysia’s energy resilience strategy.
“(We do not want biodiesel to be merely) an option or alternative that we have, only to be forgotten once the crisis subsides and supplies return,” he said.
“That is among the challenges — to change this situation so that our proactive efforts are not only to tackle the current crisis, but also to ensure that the resilience (of biodiesel) is more long-term and intact.” – April 10, 2026