Licence cheer for petrol station owners

2009/11/07

By Minderjeet Kaur and R. Sittamparam

KUALA LUMPUR: Some 3,200 petrol station operators nationwide can now change their business licences from sole proprietary to private limited, a move to allow the operators' children to take over the business.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said for years the operators had been asking for them to be allowed to convert their licences.

"I will ask the (Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism) ministry to discuss with oil companies (about it)," he said at the Petrol Dealers Association of Malaysia (PDAM) annual delegates meeting dinner here yesterday.

The news was greeted with thunderous applause by more than 1,000 operators at the dinner. Muhyiddin also praised the operators for running their businesses successfully despite the challenges they faced. He said the success of Bumiputera petrol station owners, who made up 70 per cent of the sector, had helped create a pool of Bumiputera entrepreneurs.

He said the government had always come to the aid of petrol station owners, who were facing the challenges of the global economic downturn.

"To ensure the competitiveness of petrol station owners, the government increased their commission rate from 9.5 sen to 12.19 sen per litre of petrol and 4.5 sen to seven sen for a litre of diesel from June last year.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also Education Minister, greeting Thai Education Minister Jurin Laksanawisit (centre) at his office in Putrajaya yesterday. At left is Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong. Jurin is leading a 29-member Thai delegation on a three-day visit to Malaysia. — NST picture by Izhari Ariffin

"However, the petrol station owners also have to take the initiative to ensure their premises and services are conducive, including ensuring that toilets and surau are properly maintained, to attract customers."

Muhyiddin also said petrol station operators could double up as retail outlets for local goods to help expand the domestic market for small-and-medium industries.

"SMI products, while being popular in foreign markets, still lag in the domestic market. This arrangement will also allow petrol stations to diversify their service to customers and help increase their revenue."

Muhyiddin also urged petrol station owners to promote the 1Malaysia concept given their exposure to the public.