ALOR SETAR: The Kedah Consumers Association (Cake) has urged petrol station operators to accept responsibility if claims arise that consumers' cars were damaged due to foreign substances specifically water in the RON95 fuel dispensed at their stations.
Cake president Mohamad Yusrizal Yusoff said the association is aware of viral social media reports alleging vehicles damage after refueling with RON95 at several stations in the state, with claims that the fuel was contaminated with water.
"The Kedah Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry has also issued a statement confirming that inspections were conducted at 11 petrol stations across various locations and that samples were collected for analysis.
"CAKE appreciates Ministry's swift response to consumer complaints, and we hope the analysis results can be expedited and communicated to the public,” he said in a statement on Tuesday (Oct 6).
He added, however, that if the allegations are proven true, action must be taken against the stations involved as this would serve as a lesson to other operators to exercise greater caution in fuel management.
"Petrol station operators must be held accountable for the losses suffered by consumers, and this is not the first time such an incident has occurred. Cake notes that this issue has been happening for the past three years.
"The resulting damage affects vehicle engines, and repair costs are extremely high,” he said.
On Monday (Oct 5), the Kedah Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry reportedly inspected 11 petrol stations across several districts in the state following complaints and social media posts alleging that petrol suspected of being contaminated with water had caused damage to vehicles.
The Ministry said preliminary inspections revealed no signs of water in the fuel storage tanks examined, however, this cannot be considered a conclusive result, and samples have been sent to the Department of Chemistry Malaysia for analysis. - Bernama
