How many cars are there on the Malaysian roads? I am not very sure but I read somewhere that we have 7.5 million cars and more are being registered every day.
How many cars are using NGV? The answer we have is 13,600 (recorded by Domestic Trade) up to year 2005. Maybe JPJ (Road Transport Department) can tell us the exact numbers recorded in their database. This is due to the fact if once convert to NGVclass they will automatically enjoy road tax reduction of 25%. Well that again will depend on wether JPJ database is well runned, connected to a central database and can actually give the latest cummulative figure.
How many petrol stations are there in Malaysia, to serve the estimated 7.5 million cars? Only our Domestic Trade Department can give the exact figure. They are responsible in issueing Operating Lisences for every station. Assuming that one station can handle 2,000 cars a day then we should have about 3,750 stations. There are at least 7 operators which include Petronas, Shell, Esso, Mobil, Caltex, Boestead and Projet.
How many NGV stations do we have in operation? The answer is 1 plus 36. One is fully NGV (at KLCC) while the rest are with one small island among the Petrol and Diesel Dispensers. We term them as PARASITIC. Every morning we see long que of NGV taxis queing up to wait for their turn. We understand that Petronas NGV planned to built one more dedicated NGV station in Shah Alam. It will take more then 12 months for the station to be up and running.
How many NGV operators are there operating in Malaysia? Only one. Yes Miserable one i.e Petronas NGV Sdn Bhd. There were news that a new Company, Malaysian NGV Sdn Bhd, is coming up with their chain of 100 NGV intergrated stations but God knows when they will be operating?
Why the rest of the Petrol Station Operators do not want to take part in NGV distribution? The answer could be that the cost to built a station is to heavy and not financially viable. Maybe there is not enought gas in the pipeline? Or maybe there is not enought vehicles with NGV kits operating on the street? Maybe the Goverment is not giving enought incentives to go for GAS? Or maybe they are not bothered to do their part in cleaning of the admosphere?
They are making enought profits yearly from current Petrol and Diesel sales. Why should they spend million to have gas dispensers in their stations?
Maybe Petronas is not very keen to provide the gas to these Operators! Somewhere in the newspaper recently reported that more then 80% of the gas produced and pump into the transpipeline are taken up by the IPPs (IndustrialPower Plants). Due to overusage Petronas have to buy some from Thailand.
How many NGV station do we have after 12 years of NGV being introduced in Malaysia? One plus 36. One dedicated stations (at KLCC) and 36 Parasitic station (only at Petronas stations). Recently during our PM budget speach in the Parliment he managed to commit 37 more. So we will have a total of 74 so call parasitic stations in Malaysia soon. Horrraaayyyy !!!
What suprise us is our neighbour Thailand. They started to use NGV much later then us. Petronas used to be their SIFU (teacher). And yet they have a massive plan to install 600 new NGV stations. We can see that they are fully commited and they realised the potential in NGV. Yes Thailand beat us flat in this arena.
In one of Bangkok Newspaper, Daimler plan to set up a plant in Thailand to built NGV class Mercede Cars. Details at:
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2005/mercedes_expansion.html
http://www.geocities.com/excaliburcng/ngvforum.html
Their reason being Thai Goverment is fully commited to Natural Gas/NGV usage. PTT of Thailand (Same like Petronas in Malaysia) plan to install 160 NGV stations by year end and 740 stations by 2010.
So where are we (Malaysian)? During the occassion their PM was given the latest NGV E200NGT. They wanted him to be their embessador to promote NGV. He will be the first Prime Minister who will use NGV class vehicle. What a brilliant idea?
I think our Prime Minister, Dato Abdulah Badawi, should also be driving NGV class vehicle?? Or perhaps all Malaysian Members of Parliment be made compulsory to use NGV class vehicles and allow them to appreciate NGV. All the Yang Berhormat (YB) will then have this eperience the joy of queing up together with the Taxi Drivers and NGV users for their NGV top up. After 2-3 hours of queing up they can take up the matter in the Parliment. Soon we can hear the Parliment announcement that we will beat Thailand and have 1000 stations planned for 2020.
Not long ago, a Deputy Minister of Transport announced that the Goverment is looking into getting the rest of the Petrol Stations Operators to provide NGV, at least an island. Until today nothing happenned. He should have kept his mouth shut. It must be amberrasing when not a single Petroleum Company herd his call. Mama Mia !!!
Why can't the Goverment impose conditions that every station must provide at least one island for NGV dispenser? If this is implemented within 12 -24 months we have 3,750 parasitic NGV stations instantly. Every year when these companies or operators renew their PDA lisences, just put a condition that they will be required to provide the facility? If they refuse to comply then ask them to do some other business. We (Goverment) mean business. In this way we are assured of implementing what is good for the Public.
At the same time provide incentives to make them comply to the conditions by removing any taxes imposed on NGV related equipments for them to expand their stations.
The cost to expand the station to provide NGV is tax FREE.
The Goverment might provide special fund for the expansion at no interest.
How about setting up a Body within Domestic trade to give special attention on NGV implementation in Malaysia.
The goverment should increase the number of NGV class vehicles on the street. Every vehicle locally assembled or imported must be fitted with NGV kits. If they are not impose a kind of tax call Toxicgas Tax, to make sure they are environmently gentle and with NGV kits. In Mynmar, for example, all cars imported are imposed with a penalty of RM 200,000 quivalent for any type of vehicle imported without NGV kits. Secondhand cars imported into the country have to be first fitted with NGV.
They can do it, why can't Malaysia do the same? They might be a bit backward but in environment they are a class above us. What a shame? That spirit of Malaysia Boleh seem to be just the last echo once Mahathir say goodbye !
We still have the time. The only thing is to ammend the policies and come out with new strategies to suit current Oil Price Scenerios.
Just imagine 12 months from now the oil price touches US100 per barrel. What drastic changes the Goverment will undertake? Why don't you make a quick GUESS???
Their best and the easiest way out is to increase the price of petrol and diesel again. What are we, the car owners, can do? Nothing more then keeping quite and swallow their bitter pill. We need to push the Goverment to do more to us. Give us the alternative. Let us have NGV to fuel our vehicles. Yes we want more stations with NGV, we want our car to be converted to use NGV at an effortable cost.
We have three big plants located in Bintulu, Sarawak producing LNG with total capacity of 23 million tons a year. We are exporting 21.2 million MTons. Why can't the excess capacity of 1.8 million Tons be used as feedstock to NGV stations in Malaysia? We can firstly distribute the excess LNG to Sarawakian, since this is the cheapeast option and any excess should be shipped to Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia.
Well I am not a politician and I regret for not being one. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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