KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today said national oil firm Petroliam Nasional Berhad will enter negotiations with Russia to secure sufficient crude supply for domestic needs.
Anwar noted that several European and American countries that had previously imposed sanctions on Russia are now seeking to purchase its oil, according to a report by Sinar Harian.
“Fortunately, our relations with Russia remain good. So the Petronas team can negotiate with Russia,” he said at the launch of the upgraded Sultan Ismail Petra Airport terminal in Kota Bharu, Kelantan.
Also present were Transport Minister Loke Siew Fook and Kelantan Menteri Besar Nassuruddin Daud.
Anwar, who is also the finance minister, said Malaysia’s early diplomatic engagements helped ensure its oil tankers were among the first allowed passage through the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks, mitigating potential disruptions to the country’s energy supply chain.
He added that a Petronas-chartered tanker had safely arrived at the Pengerang Integrated Complex, a key facility where crude oil is processed.
“That success was the result of the government’s early engagement with Iran’s leadership, which allowed passage while international negotiations over the future of the Strait of Hormuz were still at a deadlock,” he said.
The Ocean Thunder, chartered by Petronas subsidiary Petco, delivered one million barrels of crude oil from Basra, Iraq.
Petronas said on Wednesday that fuel supply at its stations nationwide remains sufficient until the end of June, extending its earlier projection by a month. – April 18, 2026