Good International Relations, Political Stability Ensure Malaysia’s Energy Security – Anwar

SIPITANG: Good international relations and political stability have enabled Malaysia to continue securing oil and gas supplies even as the world faces uncertainty amid a global energy crisis.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said wise diplomatic policies have allowed foreign nations such as Russia and Turkmenistan to regard Malaysia as a very close friend.

Sharing his experience during a recent official visit to Turkmenistan, he said the country’s leader expressed readiness to operate one of the world’s largest gas fields together with Malaysia through Petronas.

“Our country adopts a friendly stance with everyone, including the United States and China, in addition to a stable domestic political situation, free from turmoil or racial conflict,” he said in his speech at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Sabah Southern MADANI Link project here today.

Also present were Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor; Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali; and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak) Datuk Mustapha Sakmud.

Anwar said political stability is the key to ensuring the government can focus fully on its development agenda while continuing to attract foreign investors into the country.

“That is why previously, I gave my support to Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji because I think we have argued enough over many issues, but the country’s politics must remain stable. If it is not stable, people will not invest,” he said.

Commenting on global developments, the Prime Minister said the world is currently in a state of flux due to an energy supply shortage crisis resulting from the conflict in West Asia, which has also affected the Strait of Hormuz, causing global oil prices to skyrocket.

He said the situation has forced several countries, including some within ASEAN, to take drastic action by shutting down around 400 petrol stations due to supply shortages.

“We are grateful that even in such a situation, fuel prices remain low… Malaysia maintains the price at RM1.99. We had an issue with diesel where we raised the price slightly, but for sectors such as agriculture, buses, and transport, we did not. This is because we must realise that whatever the problem, we should not burden the people,” he said.

Bernama