“We will do our best to ensure the price of RON95 remains at 1.99 ringgit so that the rakyat (common people) are not burdened,” he said at the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry’s monthly assembly in Kuala Lumpur.
The pledge comes as the Middle Eastern conflict has rattled global energy markets.
Hundreds of tankers were already facing delays, he said, with knock-on effects rippling through transport and logistics costs worldwide.
“If the Strait of Hormuz is affected or closed, the impact on global supply and transportation costs will be significant,” he said.
Anwar noted that Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had all been hit with repeated strikes, while violence had also reached Azerbaijan, Jordan and Turkey.
Critical infrastructure, including energy facilities, water installations and other systems relied on by millions of people, had been deliberately targeted, he said.
“The world’s oil and shipping routes run through these waters. Any disruption would carry consequences far beyond the region,” Anwar said.
Also on Monday, the prime minister said Malaysia stood ready to support any credible effort towards a negotiated ceasefire and called on the international community to act before the conflict expanded further.
He said he was encouraged by calls for restraint emerging from senior Iranian officials and urged that those voices be taken seriously.
“History has rarely been kind to those who choose escalation over negotiation when the door to dialogue is still open. Keeping that door open takes real courage,” he said in a social media post.
Anwar said Malaysia’s position was consistent with the principled bipartisan stance adopted by parliament, adding that Kuala Lumpur backed diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions and restore peace across the Gulf and West Asia.
“I call on the international community to act with urgency and purpose before this conflict claims more lives and drags more nations into its wake,” he said.
Source : https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3345932/malaysia-vows-hold-petrol-prices-oil-nears-us100-barrel-amid-iran-war
