Yesterday afternoon, I received an SMS from a friend from Sabah, saying that Kota Kinabalu traffic came to a halt because everyone are queuing up at petrol stations to top up their tank due to some news saying that the petrol stations will close their business for three days starting today. That traffic jam in turn make more suffering to other people and business.
Then the news spread to Sarawak. The news or rumours triggered panic buying of petrol in East Malaysia.
Malaysian are a bunched of immature KIASU and KIASI. KIASU in Chinese Hokkien is scare to lose (in Malay it is Takut Rugi) and KIASI in Chinese Hokkien is scare to die (in Malay it is Takut Mati).
The rumour is totally fake. There is no way the petrol station going to close their business en-block. Petrol station have the obligation to sell petrol so long as their station have stock. If they closed their station, I can tell you that two things will happen to the oil retailers (or petrol station operators):
1. There will be a lot of Police reports and those operators will be sued by angry public
2. Or enraged public will burn down the petrol station.
No matter how dissatisfied the petrol station operators are with the oil companies (oil company raising their rental) and the banks (bank have increase their credit card commission), they have no right to close their station. Imagine the essential transportation vehicle like ambulances, taxis and buses stranded in the middle of the road without fuel. Imagine parent having their children stranded at school because their car run out of fuel. If those thing happen, the petrol station operator WILL GET REPERCUSSION from the public. I'm certain of it. Maybe myself will take matter in my own hands.
So to those Malaysian who are KIASU and KIASI, please make better judgment on those rumour. If the people continue to be KIASU and KIASI, it will make it even easier for the government to manipulate them with fake news.
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Source: thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/6/25/nation/21648054&sec=nation
Rumour leads to jams at Sabah kiosks
KOTA KINABALU: Petrol stations throughout Sabah saw long queues of panicked vehicle owners after word spread that the stations were closing for three days.
The panic-buying started at about 3pm, and queues at petrol stations caused massive traffic jams.
At 5pm, the police were forced to go around in patrol cars and advise people by using loudhailers not to resort to panic-buying as there was no truth to the rumour.
In some interior areas like Keningau, the queues stretched for more than 2km. Some stations even ran out of petrol.
Sabah Shell Corporate Affairs and Government Relations for Sabah / Labuan head Datin Lucy Yong assured customers that there was no truth to the rumour.
“Shell retail stations nationwide will remain open during normal operating hours and will continue to accept credit cards and subsidised cards,” she said in a statement.
A Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry spokesman warned kiosk operators against going on strike to demand higher commissions.
Sabah Petroleum Dealers Association president Charles Soong said dealers in the state were only suspending credit card sales following an association directive.
In Miri, hundreds of heavy vehicles were seen queuing up at petrol stations.
It is learnt that in Lawas, the northernmost exit point from Sarawak into Sabah, there was also panic-buying of petrol.
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