Press statement by Teresa Kok (MP for Seputeh) and former minister of Primary Industries on 28 March 2026
GOVERNMENT IS URGED TO ACCELERATE B20 BIODIESEL ROLLOUT BY URGENTLY REVIVING DEPOT CONSTRUCTION TO COUNTER FUEL PRICE CRISIS
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I urge the government to immediately accelerate B20 palm biodiesel rollout to mitigate surging fuel prices nationwide, as the recent and drastic spikes in diesel and petrol prices are placing an immense burden on the rakyat and our local industries.
As retail diesel prices in Peninsular Malaysia hit a staggering RM5.52 per litre this week, implementing B20 biodiesel is no longer just an environmental goal, it is a critical economic tool to provide a more stable, locally-sourced alternative that can shield our economy from the extreme volatility of global crude oil markets.
The B20 biodiesel programme for the transportation sector was officially launched by then-Deputy Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Dr. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and then-Primary Industries Minister on February 20, 2020.
The implementation actually began earlier in Langkawi on January 1, 2020 and Labuan on January 15, 2020 before the official national launch in February. It was originally scheduled to expand to Sarawak in April 2020, Sabah in August 2020, and Peninsular Malaysia by June 2021.
However, the government has repeatedly brushed the rollout aside. Today the whole country is suffering from a cost-of-living crisis driven by fuel costs because the government lacked of political will to reduce our dependency on expensive imported fossil fuels.
I call on the Ministry of Finance (MOF) to immediately re-examine and expedite the funding and construction plans for B20 biodiesel blending depots.
The MOF must quickly re-look at the stalled depot construction plans across Peninsular Malaysia, in Bintulu and throughout Sabah. Without these depots, we cannot blend the palm oil into our fuel supply at scale. The government’s hesitation to invest in this infrastructure years ago is why we are paying the price at the pump today.
While conventional diesel prices fluctuate wildly based on global crude oil volatility, Palm Methyl Ester (PME) offers a domestic alternative that supports local farmers.
By substituting 20% of imported diesel with locally produced palm biodiesel, Malaysia could significantly lower its fuel import bill and provide a buffer against the current price spike.
Every litre of palm oil we blend is a litre of expensive foreign diesel we don’t have to buy.
I urge the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister to stop delaying. Revive the B20 depot projects in Peninsular Malaysia, Bintulu, and Sabah immediately. Let our ‘golden crop’ protect the Malaysian pocketbook from the global energy crisis.
TERESA KOK