SEVERAL petrol stations in the states that are badly affected by floods have to perform various procedures before temporarily closing and then again to resume operations after waters recede.

Petrol Dealers Association of Malaysia (PDAM) president Khairul Annuar Abdul Aziz said dealers must ensure all discharge points at their petrol stations are safely sealed during floods. 

“The dealers need to report to oil companies on the station closure and brief them on the (flood) situation. 

“Oil companies will then prompt the oil terminal (storage for oil) to stop sending fuel to the stations until further notice… The staff will continuously communicate with dealers on the current flood status,” he told Bernama when asked about petrol station closures during the floods. 

Khairul said after a disastrous flood, petrol station operations will take months to recover fully as they have to repair and restore the stations. 

“Usually after the flood, oil sales will resume by cash payment if the system (electricity, internet, card payment system) is not available as it has to be reset. 

“The shop would take a longer time to be repaired and this will affect its regular sales as well as its income,” he said. 

Khairul said pursuing insurance claims would be a difficult process, especially for petrol stations that are regularly affected by floods, and in some cases there are companies that do not cover the losses. 

“As for minor flooding cases, petrol dealers can fully operate after two or three days, especially if the store and equipment are not damaged,” he said. 

Asked about an alternative plan to supply petrol during the floods, he said there is a mobile refuelling service called ROVR provided by an oil company. 

He said ROVR would be deployed if it can access a flooded area.

Khairul said PDAM members have been asked to download the MyPublicInfoBanjir app or check the InfoBanjir website for updates on the flood situation and water levels at rivers and dams. – Bernama, December 24, 2022.