KUCHING, March 2 ― The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs hopes to have one set of prices for petrol and diesel sold in the urban and rural areas of Sarawak this year, its deputy minister Chong Chieng Jen said today.

He said the uniformity of prices can only be done if there are more stations to be set up in the rural areas.

“This is one of the tasks of the ministry this year so that the rural people can get their supplies of petrol and diesel at the same prices as in the urban areas,” he told reporters after opening a new Petronas station at Sungai Maong,near here.

He said he has brought up the matter with Petronas Dagangan Berhad (PDB) managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Syed Zainal Abidin this morning to get PDB to increase the supply of the petrol and diesel in the rural areas.

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Chong said Syed Zainal has agreed to look into the suggestion.

He explained that the prices of petrol and diesel sold at the petrol stations of other oil companies are higher in the rural areas compared to those in the urban areas, but not at Petronas stations.

“For example, the price of RON95 sold  is 15 sen higher in Song town and 9 sen higher in Kapit compared to the prices in Kuching and Sibu,” he said.

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Chong, who is also Stampin MP, said the Pakatan Harapan (PH) federal government wants the petrol stations of all oil companies to have one set of prices for both the rural and urban centres.

He said Sarawak, being the biggest state in Malaysia, needs more petrol stations, mini stations and portable container system to provide the service to the people.

Syed Zainal Abidin, speaking about the expansion of the retail network, said Sarawak is definitely one of PDB's focus areas moving forward as demand grows.

“We are committed to move like never before and continue to introduce new products and offerings to the community for a seamless and frictionless customer experience,” he said.