KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29 — The federal government and oil companies are not doing enough to move the country’s diesel supply towards the Euro 5 standard, even after the higher fuel grade has already been made available at selected petrol stations in Johor Baru, an opposition lawmaker said today.
Kampar MP Dr Ko Chung Sen said Putrajaya has only made excuses for oil companies, which have successfully pushed for an indefinite postponement of the implementation of Euro 4 diesel standards on grounds that the costs involved would be exorbitant.
“This is absolutely outrageous as oil companies are making billions and billions of ringgit every year. They have introduced Euro 4 and 5 diesel to Thailand and Singapore. Why can’t they supply the same to Malaysia?” he said in a statement handed out to reporters at Parliament.
The federal government announced in 2011 plans to implement Euro 4M diesel standards starting 2015, in efforts to match up to international standards for environmental and public health protection.
The implementation date for the higher diesel grade, however, was conspicuously absent from the New Automotive Policy (NAP) unveiling in January this year.
International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed later said in July that oil companies were not ready to produce the higher-grade fuel as it would “cost them a lot of money to upgrade their system, factories and plants”.
Dr Ko today argued that the minister’s position makes little sense, as BHP petrol stations in Johor Baru have already started selling Euro 5 diesel since early this year to cater to passenger and commercial vehicles entering Singapore, which only allows the use of the higher fuel grade.
He added that the diesel price at these stations only increased by 10 sen per litre following the switch to Euro 5, proving that it is possible to implement a higher fuel grade policy at a minimal cost.
“I urge the government to implement the Euro 5 fuel standard as soon as possible with no further delay. This is to protect the health of our environment and the lives of our loved ones,” the DAP lawmaker said.
Malaysia currently uses the Euro 2 diesel grade, which is sold at a subsidised price of RM2.20 per litre at the pump.
The Euro 2 standard was phased out by the European Union in 1998 in favour of the cleaner Euro 3 diesel standard.
Current EU diesel standards are now at Euro 5, but is expected to soon be replaced by Euro 6 – which was officially introduced in the region last year.
