By Tedong Rantayy
MIRI, July 30: Miri Mayor Adam Yii Siew Sang has appealed to the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) to exempt Bruneian motorists from the prohibition on purchasing fuel in Miri.
The appeal was submitted this morning to KPDN Miri chief Thomas Chua at Yu Lan Plaza.
The regulation, which restricts Bruneians from refueling in Miri, has raised concerns among motorists from the neighbouring country.
“The purpose of us visiting here is we submitted an appeal letter relating to the petrol availability for foreigners, in this case the Bruneians,” Yii explained.
He emphasised that the petrol prices in Brunei are significantly lower than in Malaysia, reducing the likelihood of Bruneians exploiting Malaysian petrol prices.
“There is no possibility of them coming over to take advantage of our petrol price,” he said, contrasting the situation with Singaporeans who often refuel in Malaysia due to cheaper prices.
He argued that the regulation could hinder tourism and inconvenience genuine travelers.
“We have a lot of Bruneians coming over. And with the completion of the Pan Borneo Highway, I’m sure a lot of Bruneians would like to see more of Sarawak, to Sibu, to Kuching, and all that. So if this rule is there, then it will make it very inconvenient, if not impossible,” Yii stated.
The mayor highlighted that the prohibition affects not only petrol but also Euro diesel purchases, stressing the importance of leniency for Bruneian visitors.
“These are genuine travelers. They are not coming over here to profiteer from our petrol prices because they have even cheaper petrol prices at home,” Yii added.
Meanwhile, Chua acknowledged that this was the first official appeal letter received by Miri KPDN on this matter.
He confirmed that the appeal would be forwarded to the ministry’s headquarters in Putrajaya, as the decision rests with higher authorities.
“We hope the authority will review and consider the exemption for Bruneian cars, particularly in Miri,” Yii concluded, emphasising the significant economic and social ties between Sarawak and Brunei. — DayakDaily
