RON95 petrol contamination – preliminary analysis of 43 samples show water content of less than 0.05%: KPDN

Preliminary analysis of 43 samples of RON 95 petrol have found water content to be under 0.05%, reported New Straits Times.

The finding was from the chemistry department’s preliminary report dated October 29, said minister of domestic trade and cost of living Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali. Complaints from motorists regarding contaminated RON 95 petrol emerged in Perak, Penang, Kedah and Selangor.

A total of 262 RON 95 samples were collected, and these were comprised of 259 samples from petrol stations, and three from oil company depots, Armizan said. Remaining samples are still being analysed, with the full report to be issued once testing has been completed, New Straits Times reported.

The ministry started to receive complaints on October 3, of allegations that RON 95 petrol contained foreign substances that had damaged consumers’ vehicle engines in several states, including complaints that water contamination was suspected in RON 95 petrol from several petrol stations in Selangor, said the KPDN minister.

According to the report, inspections had covered eight petrol across eight states and three oil company depots. the ministry has held engagement sessions with Petron and Chevron, owner of the Caltex brand, on October 9 and October 21 to identify the cause of the alleged contamination.

“Both companies had also sent RON 95 petrol samples from stations involved in the complaints to their respective laboratories, including overseas laboratories, for testing,” Armizan said, adding that both companies had started to take follow-up measures in response to substantiated complaints of vehicle damage while investigations were ongoing.

“Caltex and Petron had formulated customer recovery programmes involving assistance payments on a goodwill basis, subject to established criteria and without any admission of wrongdoing or liability at this stage. Every complaint will be followed up with an immediate investigation, and if there are any offences, strict action will be taken in accordance with the laws in force,” Armizan said.

The KPDN minister said that there is a need to review and strengthen coordination and establish more comprehensive standards covering fuel quantity and quality.

“As such, we are conducting benchmarking exercises with several countries, including Singapore, the United Kingdom and Australia, to examine their standards and monitoring mechanisms. This also includes aspects such as accredited laboratory testing, trading standards enforcement, fuel monitoring programmes and transparent consumer reporting,” he said.

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