Minister of Economic Affairs, Datuk Seri Rafizi, stated that the National Gas Roadmap, launched this year, will not only avoid sacrificing the national oil company but also alleviate the company's future burdens.
He denied on X platform today the claims that there is a plan to eliminate the national oil's monopoly on gas, clarifying that the truth is far more mundane than such accusations.
“The fact is any company can import liquefied natural gas (LNG) for the local market supply.”
“The regasification infrastructure (used to convert liquefied natural gas into natural gas) and gas pipelines are owned by the national oil company, but since we can provide this framework to third-party operators, any company can import liquefied natural gas.”
“The problem is that no company is interested, and almost all liquefied natural gas imported for the local market is handled by the national oil company.”
Rafizi admitted that the nation’s reliance on the national oil company has become a burden, due to the need to bear the losses from rising prices of imported liquefied natural gas.
He said that because the peninsula's natural gas production is declining, resulting in more imports of liquefied natural gas, the National Gas Roadmap aims to stimulate the domestic gas value chain.
He stated that if more companies get involved in the country’s gas trade and begin to introduce liquefied natural gas to local suppliers, both the national oil company and the country can benefit.
“These companies need to pay to activate the national oil's gas infrastructure, thus providing additional revenue to the national oil company.”
“As the sole burdened importer of liquefied natural gas, the risk of loss faced by the national oil company will also be reduced.”
“With more operators participating in the gas sector, the natural gas supply (of the country) will be more secure, and we can attract more downstream investments in gas.”
Rafizi added that he personally benefited from a national oil company scholarship and joined the company at the age of 18, serving until he was 32, therefore the accusations of sacrificing the national oil company are baseless.