KUALA TERENGGANU — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called for an end to the controversy over allegations Malaysia supplied diesel the Philippines.
He said such a claim is untrue, as the fuel was supplied by a foreign commodity trading company, Vitol, and not Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas).
“They (Vitol) do have an agreement to transport oil and sell it to the Philippines. It is not us (Petronas) supplying it to the Philippines. But we are not stopping it. We are giving passage. The oil belongs to parties under foreign agreements.
“I hope this controversy will stop, and that focus is given to developing the country amid the current challenging economic conditions,” Bernama reports the prime minister saying after meeting tahfiz students at Sekolah Menengah Imtiaz Yayasan Terengganu, here, today.
Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Dr Zulkifli Hasan were present at the event.
Yesterday, Petronas denied reports linking it to diesel shipments from Malaysia to the Philippines.
The national oil company’s statement said it had never entered into any agreement on the matter with any party in the Philippines.
The claim was reported by the Philippine News Agency which said about 329,000 barrels, or 52.311 million litres of diesel had been shipped from Malaysia to the Philippines to boost the country’s fuel supply.
The Philippines relies heavily on imported oil and is facing a severe fuel crisis and inflation due to the US-Israel conflict with Iran that has closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for oil shipments from the Gulf.
Amid concerns about Malaysia’s own fuel security which the government has said is sufficient until May, Petronas moved to clarify that it has not entered into any arrangement with any party in the Philippines regarding the supply of diesel.
“Petronas utmost priority remains ensuring reliable and continuous fuel supply for Malaysia, in close coordination with the government and relevant stakeholders,” it said. – April 13, 2026