CYBERJAYA, April 17 — The country does not arbitrarily sell fuel to other nations as the government’s priority is to ensure sufficient domestic energy supply for the people, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, said that discussions with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese yesterday touched on the need for complementary bilateral trade resources, rather than on the alleged sale of fuel by certain parties.
“Actually, we do not sell fuel. We said we need supplies from them; this must be understood. We need phosphate (fertiliser) from Australia, and they need urea from us,” he told the media after performing his Friday prayers at the Cyberjaya Fire and Rescue Department's surau today.
Anwar added that the government is also unable to supply diesel to external parties at this time, as the existing supply must be prioritised for domestic use.
“If there is a surplus, we can consider it. At present, there is not. But the allegations being made suggest otherwise, so I do not think they are appropriate,” he said.
Yesterday, Malaysia and Australia reaffirmed their joint commitment to ensuring a stable and resilient energy supply amid global uncertainties.
Anwar and Albanese, who was on a three-day official visit to Malaysia starting Wednesday (April 15), also emphasised the importance of open trade flows amid global uncertainty to strengthen the economies of both countries.
